Women’s Colleges Breed Strong Women

As young girls we are told that we must pay special attention to how we look, purchase how we act, sildenafil  and how we speak. We are told that if we are too outspoken, then men will be intimidated by us and we’ll have a smaller pool of men to choose from because we threaten their power. We are told that if we are not pretty, we will not succeed. We are also told that if we are pretty, we only get to certain positions because of it. In short, we can’t win. Heteronormative spaces contribute to this.

When I was deciding where to spend my college career 4 years ago, I knew that I wanted to be in a place where I could be successful. This place, I decided, was a women’s college. Women’s colleges are a trippy sort of place; for the most part, everyone identifies as a woman. There are no men to make you feel inferior, and no men to criticize you for your femininity. While the media still capitalizes on promoting static heteronormative roles of women, as a student in a women’s college, you know that there is more to the female identity than sexual appeal.

I emphasize heteronormative because it is truly different from the environment of a women’s college; women’s colleges are commonly labeled as lesbian schools, and there is definitely some truth in this statement. When women share a space together, the feminine energy opens women to outwardly express their emotions and become confident in themselves and their sexuality. Women who choose to go to women’s colleges don’t become lesbians, they become comfortable with themselves. As someone who is a product of a women’s college, I did not become a lesbian, but I did become comfortable in who I am. I find female and queer spaces to be more comfortable and welcoming than male-dominated spaces, as I know I can be myself without the social pressures of heteronormativity.

Of course, life is not a women’s college and real life is heteronormative. This is why women’s colleges win; they provide a space for young women to build their confidence in a gender fluid space, preparing them for a world that wants to make women feel inferior. When women leave women’s colleges, they are prepared for the adversity that they will face everywhere, and ready to take on the world. Women’s colleges aren’t just a four year summer camp, they are four year leadership seminar that you will be SO happy you had the opportunity to participate in. Strong women exist everywhere, but strong female communities exist within women’s colleges, and breed countless strong women.

Going to a women’s college is one of the most awesome experiences you could ever give to yourself as a young woman, and I believe every woman should have the amazing opportunity to go through it. If you’re not able to go to a women’s college, join a female group and follow female publications. Seeing women in the world be successful inspires both men and women alike, to be their best selves. Women for the world!

Twitter and Instagram: @sidnistandard