Taking your dolls to school / college?

oh oh! this is a good topic! I've been thinking about this too! I'm going off to college next year and taking my dolls is something I've pretty much decided I'd do, but it'd be nice to hear some other people's experiences with them

 

My experiences have been entirely positive, so before I continue, I just want to emphasize that of course the situation will vary considerably depending on the habits/preferences of you and your dorm roommate(s), how "high traffic" your dorm is, etc. In general, take the same precautions as you would if you wished to leave something else important and expensive, like a laptop, in your dorm room: Don't leave the door frequently open/unlocked (same goes for the window if your room is on the ground floor); let your roommate(s) also know the reasoning and importance of this; and establish a few friendly but firm terms about what you would prefer not to be touched/used on your side of the room without first asking your permission. Often a college will provide roommate contracts at the beginning of the year that allow you to come to a written agreement upon anything from splitting up the task of taking out the trash to how late and how loudly music can be played, so you may be able to take that as an opportunity to discuss any ground rules concerning your dolls. Also be sure to keep in mind that there is a small possibility that a roommate might feel scared/uncomfortable around BJDs; if that is the case, then to respect and acknowledge their discomfort, it may be best to discuss a compromise, or to hold off on bringing your dolls to your dorm until you've had a little more time to get to know and befriend your roommate(s).

With that all said and done, here's my personal experience:

I spent my four years of undergrad at UCLA, and I lived in the dorms for all four academic years plus summer courses in between. (I see that both of you are also from California, so in case either of you might also be going there, the dorm buildings I lived in include DeNeve, Rieber, and Canyon Point!) I was fortunate enough to become fast friends with my roommate as soon as we met in freshman year, so we stuck with each other for all four years, except for when we were taking different summer sessions. I started the BJD hobby about two years in, so my roommate and my other friends (including the guys) all liked my dolls and were perfectly fine with having a couple of them hanging around in my dorm room at any given time. I don't keep my dolls in their boxes, so they'd be out and about, usually sitting or standing (with something to keep them propped up as a precaution, of course) on top of my dresser. In all that time, I don't recall having a single BJD mishap. I've brought one of my dolls out with me on special occasions like Halloween, including taking them to class and to a friend's apartment within walking distance from campus, and things went swimmingly each time. All in all, I'd say just be reasonably careful and follow your common sense, and then the only problem you might run into (particularly if you collect 1/3 and 70cm dolls) is that your BJDs are taking up too much space on your dresser or desk. XD

EDIT: As an added note, my hometown was also near enough to Los Angeles that I could go home to hang out with my family on the weekends as long as I wasn't too busy. Whichever dolls were at my dorm at the time stayed there while I went home, and nothing ever happened to them over those weekends.

 

thanks for sharing your experience! I'm not particularly worried since the school i plan on going to has told me they have a very extensive room mate forum all students fill out and then they manually match students up with who they think will be the best fit (it's a small school , otherwise they'd never do that lol) but it's still reassuring to hear of experiences like yours!

 

My friend who I visit a LOT introduced BJDs to me and I guess reaction has been pretty bad. She got a lot of negative comments from people who said the doll was creepy (she was doing a face-up and just had the head) and she took it pretty badly. I guess there are some people who were cool with it but most guys were scared of it and nagged at her about the price of her dolls.
I can't say for sure that this is representative of everyone's experience but I feel like my poor friend got a lot of negative reactions as a result of her doll. Lots of people who were her friends thought she wasted money on something really "creepy" and that "glared" at them.
Some people went as far as taking her doll heads away from her and playing keep-away with them until they got bored and stacked them up on top of each other, ruining the newly done face-up. :/

 

oh no that's really horrible! D: That's awful. If that had been me I might've just said "Stuff it! It's my money, I can spend it how I want. And if you're scared by a little doll, then some "man" you are!" >:P I mean, i understand how people can be scared by dolls, but being rude and nasty to someone who enjoys the hobby is unacceptable.

 

Fortunately (at least in my opinion) for me I live in a single dorm. I had a roommate last year who I just could not stand. I kept my dolls at home during the beginning of the school year (thankfully) and I feel it's a good option if you jump right in with a roommate who you do not know. My roommate had her boyfriend there every night (he was courteous though), had lots of friends going in and out of the room the weekend I moved out, kept the door latched so anyone could enter, ect. I had initially brought a trunk to lock my valuables in incase anybody were to enter who had no right to be in my room.

There is actually a fairly large number of collectors at my school/in the area, so I have been to a meet up held in the library which was fun. We had people looking in the room, but nobody was rude

I would like to take my dolls around campus, but I just don't have the time ><. Too many classes. Hopefully next semester.

Having a single dorm is nice because you can do whatever you want and no one else to worry about

 

I'm also sorry to hear about your friend's dreadful experiences, mireimi. While I can understand how seeing just a disembodied, partially painted head could be a weird and jarring first exposure to BJDs, that absolutely does not excuse these guys' poor behavior. I consider myself very lucky for having a circle of friends that was very supportive and never made a big deal about my dolls, but I'm sorry that wasn't the case for your friend.

However, that does remind me of something that may be a valid consideration for anyone who has more than one doll and is considering how to introduce them to a new dormmate. First impressions of the hobby are going to matter a lot, especially if you're going to be living with that person for the rest of the year. So, for example, if you have a BJD of a human character wearing casual street clothes and a congenial smile, that might be a better bet for a "safe" first impression than, say, your demon lord with a third eye and fangs and a tendency towards black leather, haha. Making it a gradual process can help; you can always introduce Mr. Demon Lord later on down the line.

Also, here is a relevant existing thread that may be helpful: Taking your dolls to school/college

 

this is all great advice! ;u; I currently only have one doll and she a little on the "strange" side as she's an anthro doll, but hopefully by the time i go to college I'll have a souldoll kanguk, who looks more normal even if he is bigger. if i have him by that time, then maybe he'd be a better doll to introduce first since he's more normal looking?

 

Everyone has a somewhat different idea of what "normal-looking" entails, so the best plan might be just to get to know and befriend your roommate(s) first, and then you'll have a better idea of what they like and find interesting, and know a good way to present your BJD in a way that would more likely allow them to appreciate the dolls for what they are, rather than the potentially automatic "weirded out" reaction. Both your lovely little anthro (is she the one in your icon?) and Souldoll Kanguk have their own charm, so it's certainly not that you need to tailor your dolls to suit anybody's tastes other than your own -- it's just the presentation that counts, the awareness of what kind of first impression your roommates are receiving.

 

yes she is the one in my icon, she's also featured in that link in my signature and i get your point about presentation. presentation is key! This is all great advice!

 

I always leave my doll on my bed and of course I cover him with his pillow, My housemate seem welcome him when I first brought him in my colleges =D, and they know how much I care my doll, so far he is okay, sometimes I'll bring to my class, but I just wrap him with scarf, then when I'm alone I'll open it, because some of my class mate scared of dolls =D

 

I go to Amherst college, which is in a pretty secluded college town. I didn't plan on bringing my dolls with me when I first entered college, since dorming is pretty much set on one-room doubles and I didn't want to freak anyone out with a SD sized doll. Generally, after freshman year, because I now live in a single, I have more freedom to put whatever I want in my room. The school also has a nice spray room in the arts building, so it's a great place for face-ups and stuff. Though, whenever I do take my doll out, I get shocked or puzzled looks, as well as rude remarks such as "that's just wrong". But I tend to take it with a grain of salt-- it's my hobby, they can stick to whatever they're interested in. I do have to watch out for people trying to fumble around with it randomly in examination.

 

I'm trying to figure out why you would bring an expensive doll into high school and getting a blank. But college dorm rooms sound fine, especially if its a safer dorm.

 

So I know I cant be the only doll owner here that is in the middle of working on a degree. So what do you guys do with your dolls while youre at school? Especially to those of you that go to school's farther away from home or own a lot of dolls.

I find even though I only have two dolls (a Puki and an SD) I only take my Puki with me to school, it breaks my heart to put my SD in her box when it's time for a new semester but I go to school pretty far away and even though I have unusually long summer holidays it doesnt make sense for me to ship her back and forth and I need enough stuff on the plane as is so carrying her as a carry on is pretty hard too.

So did you guys just ship your dolls to school, drive them with you, or did you leave them at home while you went off to seek education?

 

There's definitely a few threads on this, such as this one.

I carried my dolls on in a carry on suitcase. I go to school 1200 miles away from home, so I put them in protective cases in my carry on and don't let it leave my side. The rest of my stuff goes in checked bags. I drove initially, but they go home with my every summer and winter vacation. I'm studying abroad in England this year (yo!) so I'm only taking an MSD!

 

I would never bring my dolls to a high school. I'm in college now and I talk about them a lot there. I brought my RS Yao once to show my art teacher. Him and my club advisor were there. The first thing my art teacher does is flip her skirt. I flipped on him. I told him "it's rude to flip a girl's skirt, she's not even wearing panties you pervert!" She has panties now just for that reason. Even with all that, it wasn't that bad. But that's college and I had her in a carrier the whole time. Not only that, I only showed her off to my teacher in an empty room. We have early college at my school and if you don't know what they are, good! They're high school students taking college classes at my college. They are just as bad as any other high school student.

 

I haven't had school since I got my doll, but this is an interesting question. I don't think I could go to school 3 hours away and live in a dorm room without Dionne to come home to. I end up missing my doll if I am at work or haven't played with him in a day or two. I would be afraid of living with a roommate with my dolls. It's not just that Dionne was expensive, he has a lot of sentimental value and people who aren't in this hobby may not know how to care or handle my doll. That or they could steal him which would absolutely break my heart.

I'm pretty torn... Take him with me or not. I think I would have to though and take the chance. I don't think I could be away from him that long.

 

I don't have a doll yet but I do have Saber figures with me at my dorm. My roommates don't mind because they've been my friends for 8 years already and they're familiar with my hobbies. My new friends also saw them and they like them too.
If I had a doll now, I wouldn't really bring them to school because med school is too toxic for a doll. We are currently dealing with cadavers so formaline galore, yikes D:

 

I am a first year college student and I was really torn on whether to bring my doll too. I'm going to college in another country (USA/CA) so I can't come back and visit, probably only going home once or twice a year and thinking about that makes me cry. I couldn't stand going alone. When I found out that my dormitory was an apartment-style and I'll get a private room, I took a small chance and brought a doll that I made myself and left my other doll behind (LUTS 56cm). Going as an art student (animation), my doll looked like an "art project" than a toy so everyone handled him carefully. I also took all the steps to make sure it was safe for him: making sure I lived on the first floor (the quiet/no party-people floor), checking my environment for good security and safety, visitors, dorm staff and lastly ROOMMATE. I emailed her before moving in to see what type of person she was. She's a photography major and understood the personal value I have to my dolls. We give each other our needed personal space and always close our bedroom doors when we have visitors over. I feel very lucky to have her as a roommate but I still have another doll at home!!!!![/URL][/IMG]

 

I took a break from college and am hoping to go back in a year or so. I can already say I would never take my dolls, even the most sturdy or smallest. Even my plastic off topic dolls. For some reason, I attract negative attention. Bringing a doll would be like asking for someone to be rude. I might as well wear a Kick Me sign. I wish that I trusted my peers enough to bring something so precious, but I don't. The mob mentality of school students has no appreciation or respect for others property. Thankfully, I own a home and wouldn't have to worry about long periods of time without my Dollie friends. If I had to live in a dorm or apartment with a roommate, i would get a lock box or door lock for my room, or something. If I don't want someone to steal or damage my stuff, i wont allow the opportunity to arise. Call me jaded, but most people are not trust worthy.