We would all like to believe that it’s all about what is on the inside of a person and not what a person looks like. However, that is simply not the case.
As college students, we take on the responsibility of becoming adults, taking care of ourselves and preparing to start a on a career path upon graduation.
A college campus is not your home, so you should dress accordingly.
When I was in high school, I somehow had the notion that it was okay to go to school in my pajamas and slippers, and because my school didn’t have any policies against that, I did it a little too frequently.
I quickly learned that it created a perception on myself that I wasn’t too fond of. People thought I just didn’t care. Once I got to college, I quickly learned that if I wanted to make it in my field, I had to care a bit more about my appearance.
First impressions matter. School is not your house, your apartment or a sleepover. It’s a college campus where you go to learn and be taught by professionals in their fields. It comes off as disrespectful and tells people that they aren’t worth getting dressed for, which may be the case, but think of students and professors as possible connections. Most of the professors in my major are still active and practicing in the field. I’ve been able to go to them and ask them for letters of recommendation, help with internship searches and overall career advice. Do you think they would have been as willing to help me if they I made a poor first impression? I don’t think so. You never know how or who you’ll end up getting a job from once you graduate.
It says you gave up. Nothing says you’ve given up on the world more than showing up in public in pajamas or gym clothes. The only people on a college campus that should wear sweats and a t-shirt are athletes and dance majors, and even they shouldn’t be walking around in actual pajamas.
It’s scientifically proven. A study performed by researchers at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University showed that something as simple as wearing a white lab coat could enhance an individual’s performance. Called “enclothed cognition,” the study proved that what someone wears has a psychological effect on a person. Does this mean that people who actually get ready for school do better or are smarter than those who throw on sweats and a t-shirt? Not at all, but I do think it affects our own personal performance.
There’s many reasons we dress the way we do for school, and for some, rolling out of bed just before class is almost unavoidable with early morning classes. However, it’s not that hard to change your sweatpants to jeans. I’m not saying we should all dress like we’re going to a job interview or a fashion runway, but just get ready for school. It’s that simple.
