I have been reading up on a lot of people who have known they were trans several years before started transitioning. (I would say I was aware of my gender dysphoria and my not cis status for a year and a half). And recently I have been thinking would it be a good idea to wait longer before starting transition? It stresses me out having to wait (not to mention I think it would be easier transitioning in college than in the work world) but I don't know if I am rushing things.

It's important not to rush into things but at the same time, if not transitioning is going to make you miserable then  you should consider your options. Please talk to a counsellor about them. The way I see it, problems arise when someone has too high an expectation or the wrong beliefs about what transition can and will do for them and their circumstances. As long as you have a firm realistic grip on your expectations and understand the associated risks/possible problems that may arise/financial issues, etc then you are not rushing into it. Transition is as big a life decision as you can make, it's not completely irreversible but some effects of the process may be, you need to be sure you understand that. If you do then great. Please talk with a counsellor about your concerns.

I think you definitely shouldn't rush into any decisions, however, if you're very sure that you want to transition and you'll be miserable without it, then time is not a reason to wait. I recognized I was trans about 3 years before I started hormones, and the single reason I waited that long was because my parents wouldn't let me so I had to wait for my 18th birthday. If I had picked when to start, I probably would have started a year or a year and a half after realising I was trans. If your only reason or doubt about starting is that other people waited longer, I think you can relax. It can always be helpful to talk to a therapist about doubts, but I assure you that a year and a half is perfectly reasonable. If you know transitioning is what you want, don't wait just because you are comparing yourself to others' waiting. If you know it's what you want, go for it, but if you're unsure, then talk it through with a therapist.

I only properly realised last May. I was depressed for a long time before, but never realised why. I had thought "I'd much rather be a male" before May though, just thought it wasn't possible.

I am ready pursuing hormones, hopefully starting in the next 2-3 months.

Thanks and will definitely be further discussing this with my therapist. I didn't know if there were good reasons to waiting even though I have thought this over through and through.

I knew that I was trans when I was 17. I watched a friend transition in the tail end of high school and that convinced me that I wasn't ready or able to transition at that point.

I considered giving it a shot in college but I was worried about not being able to get a job and pay back my student loans, so I held off. I started transitioning socially last summer and medically in the winter. I'm 25.

I have multiple degrees, I have a full time job and benefits that enable me to access all of the resources I need to transition. I was able to save money and build my credit to make surgery a reality sooner rather than later. Overall I think I made the right decision for me, but I think it's subjective and different for everyone. I might've been able to transition just fine in college, but I think waiting has enabled me to have an easier time of it.

I guess it depends on how ready you feel you are, and how accommodating your circumstances are. If you feel you're ready, then you probably are.

I only started questioning 3-4 months ago and sometimes I feel like I'm so ready, other times I'm more uncertain. So for me, I think I'd need more time. Don't know about you though, but maybe try and pinpoint the things that make you want to wait, and the things that make you not want to wait. You don't want to rush things through, but if you're certain that this is what you want to do right now, I don't think there's much point in delaying the process.

Quote from: ftmax on February 07, 2015, 10:02:51 PM
I knew that I was trans when I was 17. I watched a friend transition in the tail end of high school and that convinced me that I wasn't ready or able to transition at that point.

I considered giving it a shot in college but I was worried about not being able to get a job and pay back my student loans, so I held off. I started transitioning socially last summer and medically in the winter. I'm 25.

I have multiple degrees, I have a full time job and benefits that enable me to access all of the resources I need to transition. I was able to save money and build my credit to make surgery a reality sooner rather than later. Overall I think I made the right decision for me, but I think it's subjective and different for everyone. I might've been able to transition just fine in college, but I think waiting has enabled me to have an easier time of it.

Hmm, I am not sure if that would or wouldn't work for me because I'll probably be a student of some sort at 25. Or possibly unemployed (I am bit of a pessimist).

I think talking to a therapist is a very good idea (in some cases a required one, but not others), but anyway I would always recommend it. Find a good one and someone familiar with gender issues. If you look at the home page here there are some links.  You can also contact a LGBT center. A word of caution, if the therapist is no good, do not stick with them. I think a bad therapist is worse than none. This link has actually been updated, looks pretty good for my own state:
http://www.lauras-playground.com/gender_therapists.htm

--Jay