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Starting College - HELP!

Started by Ryan, August 11, 2009, 01:48:01 PM

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Ryan

It's stupid, but I'm really worrying about this.

I'm starting college again on Monday.
This is a course that I've been on before, so although I'm unlikely to know anyone on the course, I will know the tutors.

The tutors all know me as female. The referral form to the course gives my former name too.
See, I'm only really out to friends. But I don't want to go through this course seen as female. I want to be and make friends as a man. I'm hoping that this will give me a clearer idea of whether transition is right for me.

My parents don't know about my partial transition. I'm tempted to get drunk and blurt it out. Just say that I'm gonna be a guy for a while and see how it goes. I already pass 98% of the time so it's not like they've not noticed anything.

Things that are worrying me about the whole thing:
- Someone on the course will recognise me and tell everyone.
- I'm not gonna have the courage to tell my tutors.
- If I do tell them, they're gonna think I'm some creepy weirdo.
- People on the course will figure out that something isn't right about my age and the way I look.
- My parents will find out (if I don't tell them).
- Worrying about all this crap is gonna make me too scared to socialise.

Help?
Thanks for reading.
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Kara

You can't have a transition that goes halfway. Either you become a man in all respects, or you do not. If your goal is to go all the way here (which is the impression I got) then you can't worry about who knows and who doesn't. In the end, you have to decide what's best for you and disregard those who disapprove.
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Ryan

Yeah. See, I don't know if I want to transition.
I would like to do this 18 week course at college with everyone seeing me as male and hope that it helps me decide what I want to do in terms of transition.

I just don't want to make such a massive life decision and ->-bleeped-<- it up.
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Teknoir

It's not going to be a big of a deal as you're thinking it'll be.

Teachers (well, all the ones over here) have had "sensitivity training". They're taught how to deal with minority students in a respectful manner. All you've gotta do is go up to 'em and say "Oh hey, I'd like to be known by <male name> and I'm using male pronouns now" and they'll comply (or risk being fired).

Political Correctness - mostly run amok, sometimes works for you!  :police:

Also - those teachers have hundreds of students per year... there's a good chance you're NOT the first trans student they've had. While it may feel a special "new" path for you (as it does for me too), fact is we're doing something that many have done before us.

When the teachers refer to you in one way, all those new students will follow. You say you pass most of the time? Then no worries. The other students will read you as male from day 1. Students aren't the sharpest tools in the shed... they're also too self absorbed (as we all are) to look at you close enough and wonder about your age.

So yeah - the only people that could out you are the teachers, and they're paid not to  :laugh:.

Where am talking out of in this post? Experiance!  ;D

I'm doing a 6 month course, using it as RLT before T. I was FT before I started going there though, so no prior history.

Socially, the first few days you'll worry about being clocked. Someone will drop a "he" and you'll feel better.
Then, by the end of the week, it'll all become routine. You'll forget to worry. You'll stop watching your every move and go back to being yourself, only - you won't notice. Nor will anyone else.... you'll just end up another one of the guys just doing your thing.

Well, that's how it worked for me :).

There's no way I could ever go back (I knew that before I started though). I also want T NOW NOW NOW instead of at the start of next year as planned (that MAY happen... be warned!).

I think this short course is a great idea to feel things out. It's only 18 weeks, which in the grand scheme of things is a very short amount of time if you decide it's not for you (worst case, you'd have to put up with male name and pronouns for the remainder of the course... no biggie).
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Ryan

Awesome, thanks :D

I might go for it then!
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