Taking your dolls to school / college?

...I thought I'd already replied to this but I guess not.

I'd gotten into BJDs when I got into college.

I started off topic with pullips my spring freshman year, but by the fall of my sophomore year, I had my first bjd.
Also as a sophomore, I started my job as a resident asistant... meaning I had a room to myself.

I never had to deal with roommate issues with my BJDs, but I had issues with my roommate's friends my freshman year going through my things and touching stuff.

As an RA it was kinda like the whole floor was my roommate? I constantly had girls in and out of my room, so everyone saw my dolls.
I had a little bit of everything.
I had girls who wouldn't come in my room because of the dolls, I had girls who thought they were creepy and made it their mission to spread horrible things about my creepy dolls all through the dorm, I had girls who thought they were neat, girls who wanted to get into the hobby because of my dolls, and then girls who were already in the hobby to begin with XD

I didn't really mind if anyone touched the dolls,but I did start the conversation with "they run about 400$ each" *hands doll* and usually it was either quickly handed back, or they just held it like a child.

I never really had any horrible experiences, other than having to deal with girls who made a scene over being afraid of them *shakes head*


I did occasionally run my dolls outside for photos, luckily I was in a dorm that had a rather private courtyard behind it, so I used to shoot out there. Every once and awhile someone obnoxious would run by and be a jerk, but most of the time people just stared as they walked by, which I don't really mind.


For the past two years I've been living off campus in an apartment, and last year I was actually interviewed for the school newspaper about my hobby.
^^; ended up will a whole page all on me and ALL MY GAY DOLLIES. *shakes head*
The story was completely twisted and they turned it into how all of my dolls are based of gay people I met on campus .-.
Luckily hardly anyone reads the school newspaper and the people who did read it and told me they did usually had commentary to say "THAT STORY WAS HILARIOUS"

 

Update: I now have 2 dolls on campus with me, but they stay locked up in my single bed/bath dorm at ALL times unless I'm in the room. When I leave the room, I just pack them back up, safe and sound. My good friends know about them, but I don't just don't bring them out of the room unless I'm traveling with them packed away. People on my floor know all about my hobby, and most are cool about it and nothing bad has happened to them yet. I think I got a good balance.

 

I'm on my second year of college and having just moved trying to find a local community college or start going to the public university over in the next town over. I plan to return to Chicago to Robert Morris University to finish up my Bachelors and get my Masters but I need to save up money for the dorms. I of course want to go for the dorms that have the meal plan and go with that option because grocery shopping is hard in Chicago and hey if there's a meal plan included that's cheaper than going out.
I just got my first off topic doll and am saving for my first bjd. It'll either be a dream of doll or an iplehouse.

As far as financial planning and management is concerned. I'm not really all that worried about it. I've always been rather financially responsible. I'm former Military and in the Navy I would offer free financial planning and budgeting classes to my shipmates because they were always shocked that I was never complaining about never having money and I always seemed to not only be able to get what I want when I seemed to want it but that I also had a credit card that had a 3,000 dollar limit that was never maxed out and I seemed to always be able to use it.

In reality, I saved up for everything I wanted. And If I put something on a credit card I always had to have the money available in my checking account and then I would transfer that money from my checking account to a second checking account that I used to pay the credit card bill so it was able to be paid off every month. I usually left like 25% off the balance on it when it was due then would take the rest and pay it off during the grace period as I found that doing it this way helped me to raise my credit score.

But credit, management, and planning is another topic >.< To stay on topic I'll bring it full circle and admit that I have created another paypal account specifically for my dolly fund and it's separate from my spending account which I'm sure will help. And my current dolly is roughly 8 inches in height so I carry her around in my purse which is naturally cushioned (Go Vera Bradley!) and I don't see why I wouldn't bring her with.

I'm a law/business student but I took the option when I was at Robert Morris to utilize a locker and put in one of those locker organizers and if I had Sofia then I likely would have put her in one of the locker areas sitting on something if I didn't want to bring her to a class. I can actually see myself totally bringing her in with me to some of the fun electives but I'd have to get to know my teachers and their habits a bit first. There are some teachers there I know that are all business all the time and others that I'm sure would get a kick out of it.

For now though, it looks like I'll be contacting a Uni to do online courses and I think it'll be fun to have Sofia cheering me on as i work... hmmm... I'll have to make her a cheer leading outfit.

 

I believe I got my first doll either my tenth or eleventh grade year. I had just gotten a job, looked on the marketplace, saw her, and bought her with a whole paycheck in November. I have now just started my freshman year of college, I'm only three weeks in, and have decide to get back into the doll hobby after take a small hiatus and selling both of my girls. But I'm back now and I want one more then ever. So I'm just going to do what I did the first time, work and save. Or well, more like do what I did the second time as that when I actually did a layaway and saved for my doll. This time around though I'm looking at buying a brand new doll instead of a used one, as the doll I want will either be customized for skin color or just be in special skin, so it's a lot more saving then I'm use to. I don't spend a lot anyway but some how I'm not good at saving.

Ex.
I don't have my doll yet but it wouldn't hurt to buy this outfit for her now.
-$35 dollars down the drain that COULD have been used for the doll-
OR
I know I want to save up for my doll but I must buy this pack of soda! I'm thirsty.

That's generally how I use up my doll saving money. >.> But I'm going to try and hold back from doing that as the doll I'm looking at is going to be expensive. @_@ So no buying useless things that I really don't NEED, putting aside every little bit of spare money I get, splitting my money I get from selling my books at the end of the semester between my new doll and books for my spring classes, and not eating out as much. Not to say I do that last part now but I'll give it a good two more weeks before I get tired of cafeteria food.

 

I'm in my second year and saving money is an absolute nightmare for me! I worked over the summer, all of which ended up going for college (books and tuition) now that I'm here, I don't have that much money on me, and zero income. I'll be working over christmas break, but I need to make a decision as to if I want invest some money into a doll or into a PS3..... That is of course if my mother lets be divide my money the way I want...

 

I started with my first doll when I was doing the first year of my masters. I think it helped actually because I didn't have to get permission from parents or have the responsibility of funds, a family. College is one of the few times you can do what you like without being as obligated to other people

 

I don't think I'd want to have my doll at school with me right now; (I live in a suite, and have a roommate!) But when I get a room of my own, whether I have a suite-mate or not, I will.

 

I don't know whether I'll take them to college with me or not, but I'd panic about leaving them home...I had a very bad dream about it, which normally wouldn't bother me, but it seemed all to plausible... So I wont risk leaving them behind. Maybe they'll stay with a trusted friend ^.^;

 

I know a lot of people are like "why risk it?" and "I just keep mine at home." I can't because A) there isn't a doll group even remotely near my hometown, but there is one near my college. B) I started the hobby in college, so there's automatically alot of doll stuff here. That and I NEVER go home because I go to college across the continent. It would be 9 months of not having my doll. I feel safer when I know where my doll is, and I know that no one is touching it or near it, aka my dorm room. My dormmate doesn't like dolls, and we really are great friends. I also hide her during the day, and people would be more prone to stealing your ipod, kindle, ipad or computer before they steal your doll. I never ever let people know that my doll is worth so much money- thats just asking for it. I don't take her to class, but sometimes on trips around town (photo opportunities and fabric shopping trips).

TLDR: 9 months out of the year, I'm gone from home, so I wouldn't be able to enjoy the hobby at all that entire time without my doll. I feel safer having her with me where I know no one is touching her.

 

I studied in the university now. And I also bring my doll to scholl.
Actually, I stay in a dorm because I am a international students in the scholl.
Therefore, I bring some dolls with me. It is not the first time I bring them with me to school.
So I think it has no and worries for me to bring them to school =)
And sometimes I will show them to my friends.

 

I'm in high school and i actually had to take my boy with be before.(My parents are separated and i take my stuff to my moms house in the morning, but ran out of time) He was in his little doll case, which is where i planned to keep him, until people started to get curious and asking what i had. So i took him out and people looked at him and asked questions and such. My art teacher loved him! So all in all my experience was perfectly fine! Oh, my boy is a yo-SD so he is quite easy to transport.

 

My university is two hours away from home. I rent a house near my university and live here for the past two years. And yes I bring my doll with me, he stays in my room. But I never brought him to school though because I don't want to drop him, or have people mess with him, and I go to school to study, not to play with dolls. lol

 

When I buy my doll i'm gonna bring it to school with me. i'm a college student and honestly here where i live there is an extremely small rate of theft here. Plus, i'd like to show it off if i spend 200+ on a doll, ya know?

 

I do not think I ever will carry their dolls to college ... Because ... In our city, of which few know and many people do not realize that the doll should be treated very carefully. And even scoring their prices do not bother.
It saddens me to realize this, but unfortunately, this is a fact of life.

 

I'm a third year in University. I live close enough to campus to stay at home.

The main reason that I will not take a doll (Don't have one yet) to Uni, is that I have a fear of things being stolen. Like, of course, we all have that fear, but my fear is so big, that I will check my bags every half an hour to make sure everything is there. If I had a doll with me, I would be checking every two minutes, maybe less. I had stuff stolen from me in primary school, which is where this habit developed.

If I lived on campus, it would stay in my dorm, with the door locked, hiding.

 

I don't take a doll with me because it's quite a hassle. I need to change buildings very often and don't want the extra weight or the fear of the doll getting lost in the masses or something. I don't have a carrier, too. ^^;
Also I don't want to accidentally get them all stinky with cigarette smoke or dirty with coffee and canteen food. I'm very sloppy outside of the hobby. And university is just not part of the hobby. ^^

 

Ahh you really don't tell people the price?

I've been taking my dolls out in public to highschool/college since I first got... any of them really. I don't go out of my way to tell people how much they cost, but if I think they're going to be rude or handle them in a dangerous way I tell them straight up if they hurt it they're forking out the money for a new one.
This inevitably leads to "How much are they?" And when they find out... well, they don't even want to TOUCH it anymore, they're AFRAID to touch it for fear they'll harm it hahaha.
Personally I think telling people how much they cost is the BEST thing you can do, that way they know just what they're in store for if something happens.

But I do agree about locking the closet/bedroom door whenever you leave the house if your dolls are remaining at home. I do it even if they're coming with me haha.

 

I took a number of my non-bjd dolls to school with me during my last semester of college. I don't think my roommate liked them but I hated her guts so I didn't care what she thought. They hung out in my room and looked cute. Some of the dolls were porcelain and would've easily shattered if knocked over, but I lucked out there. That being said, I'd have no reservations whatsoever about taking a ball-jointed doll to mortuary school. I wouldn't take it to class of course, but he/she can hang out in my room and look cute and provide some comic relief.

 

I think I've posted on something similar to this before. I brought mischief's head to high school with me. Actually a lot of the boys in my classes were very interested in him, and wanted to see the eyes and everything. I take them to my college dorm. I've basically taken the stance that the people I want to keep around are going to be accepting of my dolls. I make sure that the dolls come with me on fire drills and everything, and i usually take them around campus in a carrying case to get pictures. They've come to the cafeteria with me, and they've come to my classes.
Be cautious, as always. Don't leave your dolls unattended in areas that you don't trust. If you have a roommate, I've always told them about my dolls. My first one said that they were super cool and decided that she wanted to get one after she saw me with mischief. Typically there will be an area where you can lock your valuables as well, so they're safe.

 

I'm in college now and I always bring one of my dolls with me (MSD or SD) The girls in my class just accept them as part of the class.