So I have a question about transitioning at college (or school). I gave up my studies in my current university and will be going to a new one in september. I'm already enrolled there with my official female name.
I was wondering, how did you others transition at college ? Did you do it before getting your civil status / passport changed ? I was thinking I might drop in at the administration office and ask if my name could be (unofficially) changed on teachers' call lists so they don't shout my female name out loud before every practical class. What do you think about it (I am pre-op, pre-T but I usually pass well) ? Or should I rather go to my teachers one by one?

I'm really stressed out by this issue since some of my friends who will be there have always called me by my male name and never questioned my gender identity. Besides, I'll be taking hormones soon and wouldn't like to wait to have a beard to tell people 
Thanks in advance for replying, have a nice evening !

Sort of as an experiment to see if I really could pass (without T or surgeries or anything) I enrolled for a semester at a different campus of my college where none of the teachers or people would really know me.

I basically just emailed / communicated with every teacher before the start of the semester and asked them if they would not call me by the name on the roster but by my male name. I didn't go into a lot of details about being transgender but they all agreed. One teacher did persist in calling me "she" though, but my classmates I think blamed it on his language barrier...

I'm not sure what you mean by civil status.  Do you mean gender marker?  That shouldn't matter.  I had to stop college for a year due to financial reasons but I probably was going to still take that year off due to my gender.  Within that year I got my name changed, and started on T so when I went back to school I was 10 months on T and Andrew instead of "birthname".

If I were you I would communicate directly with each teacher and explain that I know I'm on the roster as "birthname" but I go by "male name" and identify as male so use only male pronouns.

I socially transitioned in college before starting my medical transition. I'm not sure how things will work at your university but at mine they cannot unofficially change my name - only officially with a court order; so what I have to do is inform my profs of my preferred name& pronouns before the semester ends. The most painless way I have found is to either go to their office& tell them to call me ONLY by my preferred name or if they aren't available I send them an email informing them I am to be called "preferred name" and to use male pronouns in reference to me.

At first it probably felt weird for them since I looked undeniably "female" as my features& voice were feminine. At this point, several months later it comes more natural - the pronouns& what not, since I look& sound unmistakably male.

Good luck& the fact that it's a new university makes things easier ..since you don't have to correct people who knew you as "birth name."

I teach at a Uni. If you can call in and see your teachers personally. It is a lot easier to remember someone's correct name when you can associate it with the person. Transitioning at Uni is usually really good because most of the students are just getting used to their identity as a person and are very accepting. The teachers are also aware of this and the good ones, which are the vast majority, are very willing to help out in anyway they can. It is part of the job. And it might sound odd that most of us teach because we like teaching and we like our students and want to help them.

I'll definitely talk to each teacher directly then, and I'm very glad to hear they usually take it well.

And yes, I meant gender marker. I almost feel it wouldn't be legitimate to go by a man's name when my gender marker hasn't got changed yet - but I'll do it anyway because I can't stand my birthname anymore. (What also stresses me out are tests and papers to hand in. I know I'll have to take exams by my birthname, but what about coursework and tests which will count in the overall average? Should I put my prefered name on there, or my birthname (assuming those papers are sort of official), or both?)

Cindy James: It's very interesting to get an answer from a teacher's persepective, thank you ! I see what you mean, I guess it's the perfect time to transition at uni... and I hope my teachers will be as understanding as you and those in your college.

Thanks a lot for all your kind and informative answers!
Have a nice evening 

My college experience was less then pleasent and i ended up droping out so I really have no helpful advice expect talk to the teacher and be polite with them when you do.

Quote from: Transguy on April 29, 2012, 01:03:19 PM
And yes, I meant gender marker. I almost feel it wouldn't be legitimate to go by a man's name when my gender marker hasn't got changed yet - but I'll do it anyway because I can't stand my birthname anymore.

It is totally legitimate.  Some folks have such hoops to jump through in their state to change their gender marker that if they waited for that to happen it would be years and years.

In my state you have to have documentation of surgery (top or bottom or hysto) before you can even think about changing your gender marker.  Since when I began transition, I knew it was going to be (and still is going to be) a few years before I can afford top, I started T.  Plus it felt legitimate to go by a man's name, since I'm a man, and the T only enforced that fact.

Andy8715: That's true, in my country documentation of hysterectomy and proof of sterility are required, so yeah, a few years to go too... That's the point, I'm not on testosterone yet so I fear it wouldn't be credible. But you're totally right, I'll pluck up courage and talk to each teacher next semester then 

Thank you very much again

About the coursework& in class tests:

I never wrote anything but my preferred name...sometimes with my student id number after it; it was never an issue, it shouldn't be for you either.