Taking your dolls to school / college?

I'll be a senior this year in high school.. School is such a terrible place for a person like me.. I'm surrounded by arrogant idiots for hours each day for months and are forced to listen to their loud, obnoxious blabbering...

I had this idea in my head, way before I even bought my boy. Taking a BJD to school.. It sounded like a terrible idea, but again it seemed like it might be fun. I wouldn't bring one everyday, just free days when all posers bring their guitars and the socialites break out their cameras and laptops. Then I start thinking of his size.. 60cm is an inconvenience in this plan of mine... Maybe when I get a Yo-SD the experiment might have a better turn out.

I'd like you all to tell me your opinion on the whole deal. Do you think it's a bad idea? Or are there risks I should take into consideration?

 

This has been done before - have a read at Taking doll(s) to school or college and Why the Animosity from Non-Doll People?

Honestly? I wouldn't do it. It would be fun, but would you be able to accept the consequences? People would be making fun of you all the time, you'd be alienated from other students. Because they see dolls as freaky toys. They may even steal him! Y'know, as a 'joke'

High schoolers can be awfully cruel. On the other hand, they can be super awesome. The only way to find out is to try, but personally, I wouldn't give them any chance/excuse to tease me. Don't give them power over yourself. High school is tough, and putting yourself in the line of fire won't help you.

I sound really mean, and I'm sorry But if you still wanna do it, remember not to play with him in lessons - you're there to learn, not play

 

Unless you have people around you that know how to handle a doll, I would strongly suggest you don't take one with you.
If these people are idiots, as you describe them, chances are they will try to handle your doll, without realizing the cost of them and maybe throw them or something. It's happened before.

 

delete please

 

Haha, high school, I remember it pretty much exactly how you described it.

I would be wary about bringing him, even if you think they won't get close. When douchebags like that are determined, they can do it- in numbers. If you do bring him, be very very cautious. I would hate to hear about something happening to your boy. >:

Although, it does sound cute- him in a school boy uniform sitting on your lap. c: If you think it'll help you get through the day, go for it. But still, take into account what we've said about people and their "jokes" and be careful! ♥ Best of luck

 

Kids can be idiots, yes, but if this is a high school, they are not your main concern on the topic of bringing in a doll. Unless this is a 'no-class' kind of day, or you are bringing in your BJD for something like an art class, I highly do not recommend taking them.

Beyond the fact that it's risky, most teachers will probably not want you to have him out on your lap during class. Yes, it would be fun. No, it is not exactly situation appropriate. Teachers don't even like students looking at their cellphones, a doll would be equally distracting in their view (not only to you, but to everybody around you). If you do bring your doll, keep it in your bag, and maybe take it out at lunch. But unfortunately, class is class, not hobby time.

I don't want to be the Debbie Downer, but there is a time and a place for everything, and in an educational environment I find it best to respect that fact.

 

I was the persono who really didnt give a rats butt what people thought of me in high school, I'm still that way. So being made fun of and stuff wouldnt bother me. But I'd leave my dolls at home. Why?

Because kids are cruel enough that if you're ignoring their ignorance, they'll take the doll and smash it against a locker. That's just the school I went to though. So yea. Dolls? Stay home. I most certainly would never put my trust into a large collection of teenagers around my dolls.

Bring a stuffed animal instead.

 

I'll be going to university pretty soon, and I have a vague plan of what I'm going to do.

On campus I'm going to use a shelf, but put cupboard doors on it, so that I can set them up on the shelf, and then close/lock it when I go out to classes. then I can have it open when I'm at home, and there are no risks of them getting stolen when I'm away. ^_^

When I go to class, I probably wouldn't bring a doll, unless I really felt that today would be a day when I needed it. in which case I would bring a tiny, because they can be hidden in your bag, or placed on your desk as a desk accessory, without being too distracting to other students.

 

What someone else has said to me is that being the negative centre of attention because of your dolls is just too much hassle. You may be able to cope with the 'jokes', or the mean comments, or the alienation; but they would never happen if you never brought in the doll in the first place, right? And a lot of people who aren't as strong simply cannot cope with the emotional bullying day in, day out. I know I couldn't, so I left all the stuff that I could be bullied for at home (and stuck to the 'normal' things like books, ipods for distractions)

He did also say to me that if you treat everyone like they're idiots, no one's gonna like you. Treat others like you want to be treated and all that jazz.

 

I've graduated from college, but if I had owned a doll while in school, I would have taken it to the dorm with me.

This is a hobby, and the dorm was my "home" for 4 years. If I had been into it when I was in school, I would have wanted to spend some of my free time with my dolls - either sewing, or photographing them, or just enjoying them.

That being said, I wouldn't take them to class. It's disrespectful to your professor to have something so distracting (and yes, even if he or she is just sitting on your knee or desk, it's going to be distracting the other students and/or the teacher). I also wouldn't take it to high school for the same reason.

My husband is a high school teacher and I know he struggles to keep his students engaged. Cell phones aren't allowed by school policy and neither are other toys. And that's what a BJD is: an expensive toy. Besides the fact that a person is (in theory) at school to learn, so are his or her classmates, and the teacher is trying hard to make sure everyone is getting the best education they can.

Moreover, I agree with some of the other posters: kids can be cruel. I remember my high school and while it may have been better than others' experiences, I wouldn't have wanted to invite any kind of comment about something I cared about so much. Regardless of how self-assured a person may be, it sucks to have something you love degraded repeatedly.

Also, something could happen. It could be a bully or a group of them. It could be someone making a careless mistake. It could be the dolly takes a tumble from your lap and chips her face! I wouldn't risk it for so many factors, honestly. Enjoy them at home where you can have as much freedom as you like to do whatever you want with them in comfort and safety, both physically and emotionally.

 

I have totally been thinking of this. When I go off to college next year, I want to bring only my favorite stuffed animals/dolls. I have never really gotten connected to one particular toy. I hope that when I get my BJD I will get really attached to him. He will definitely come with me. I hope to get a single room. The college I want to go to is pretty safe, so I wouldn't be too afraid....

 

Hello!

All of my dolls are unfinished in some way, whether they need bodies or eyes and I have come to realize it will probably take me a few years to finish and collect all the dolls I want. However, I will be going off to collage in just two years and I've heard many stories where people sell their collection before going to college or box them up and leave them home.

Did you bring your doll to college with you or do you plan to? If you're staying in a dorm with a roomate will you be taking your resin with you? Will you explain to other students what your doll is or keep the dollies on the down low? Is your college close to home where you can easily drive back and forth and therefore opt to leave them home?

If you have brought your doll to college, how was the experiance? Was anything stolen or did you play it safe? Would you recomend others bring their doll? If you were apart from your doll for a long time did you miss them a lot or did you come home and not feel as attatched?

Thanks, anything you have to share on this topic would be appreciated ^^

-Hope

 

That's 'college' xD

And as an active university student who has lived on campus in the past - yes. I should mention that I didn't have a roommate. But my dolls live with me wherever I go, and I've taken them to classes in the past. I was very careful with them, always kept them within my sight, and didn't let anyone touch them without permission and supervision. People stare a lot, but if you can ignore that...

It's kind of funny actually, some the people from Korea and Japan seem to recognize the dolls and get really excited XD

 

Oopsies DX I'm so sorry about that! My brain must have switched off!

Thank you for the reply though! I highly doubt I would want to bring my dolls to class with me but I was curious as to how mnay people bring them to stay in their dorms with them.

That's so cute X3 I would love to see their reactions!

 

I just got my first doll, and entered my first year of college as well. No relation between the two, actually, so much as I got a raise at work and did a lot of hours this summer. But yeah, not buying another until I get out of college or have another nice, long summer where I can work my bum off and maybe get another raise. Or promotion *cough**cough*.
But yeah.
As far as taking my doll with me, I took her the day after I got her so that I could show her to a friend of mine on the shuttle we take to class. I won't be taking her again, because I almost lost her wig in the storm on the way home, and I walk/ride a tight shuttle, and it's just uncomfortable to deal with a 2 foot tall, somewhat heavy doll that entire way. D;

 

I brought one doll with me to university when I lived away from home for a year. I had three at the time. I lived in a single-person apartment-style dorm, so it was essentially like I was renting my own one-bedroom apartment, but I still only brought one because I just simply didn't have the room for more in my two giant suitcases when I moved across the country.

I never brought them outside though, especially to class. There's just not enough room in lecture halls for dolls, cramming upwards 600 students into one area, and besides, I wouldn't need them anyways. Labs were obviously a no since we weren't allowed personal articles in anyways, and besides, I wouldn't want my expensive doll chilling out besides a bottle of concentrated sodium hydroxide. Or better yet, something reactive and organic, like Grignard reagent. 'Cause that would be loads of fun.

I had them in high school too, but I only ever brought one of them with me once, when I had a really stressful 13-hour day at school (school day plus I was organizing and running a school event in the evening). He stayed in my purse for the entire day though, because I just brought him there for, uh... I don't know why. Honestly, even as a doll collector I'd think someone was majorly weird for bringing a doll to school and touting it around in their arms (obviously, I wouldn't give them a hard time over it).

In my senior year, no one would've given me too much trouble over owning dolls, provided I presented it properly - e.g. "I like designing outfits and they are my models". I do think the vast majority of my classmates whose opinions I cared about (including the ever-hated "popular" kids, and especially the boys - hey, my boyfriend was very much the popular jock kid when I started dating him in grade 12, and he was perfectly fine with my hobby) were fairly mature and open-minded, plus they already knew me as that quiet artist girl who sat in the corner with her sketchbooks and/or homework from textiles and design class. Owning one isn't what makes you "weird", it's the fact that there really is absolutely not a single reason why you need to bring a doll to school and drag it around everywhere like a baby. There's just isn't. If you bring it to school for a specific class, like, fashion or graphic design or art or photography, that's different, and you can make it look perfectly normal by bringing it in a carrier, taking it out for that specific class, putting it back, and no one other than the other insecure kids will give you any trouble. But there's no reason why it needs to sit on your desk in science class, staring over your shoulder with empty glass eyes. Plus, there are people who are genuinely unnerved by dolls and you would be impeding upon their education. And there's a chance you can damage the doll - drop it, scratch it's face-up, lose some part of it. Why bring it at all?

 

Haha everyone does it xD I just get a bit grammar crazy sometimes... and then in the same post forget words orz.

Yeah I was kind of curious too oAo. It must be nerve wracking if you're moving in with a roommate, and you don't know if you're going to get along or if they're going to have a fight with you and try to trash your stuff......

Haha it's very cute. They usually point and start talking excitedly to one another...some squeal. None of them ever try to talk to me though xD

 

I started in the hobby in when I arrived at college; my roommate (ChibiKoun) and I both collect dolls. Oddly enough there is someone living on our floor with a phobia of dolls (a topic discussed in another thread). So we occasionally "hide" the resin crew behind the fridge when our door is open, so as not to freak someone out. It's not something I would have thought of as being a problem, but there you go. Otherwise, having bjds at college is great, because you can hang out with other bjd-loving people. Good luck!

 

luckily for me, i joined the hobby in my last eyar of high school and got my dollies as a sort of graduation gift. ^^ Now of course there are things that i need for various classes so i suggest to take it slow!