If the digital era has done anything for the present generation of kids heading to college, it might be this: it has allowed for wider than previous descriptions of the characteristics that define the individual. Not only are there more comprehensive, wider-ranging labels, but there is more cross-mixing between labels as well.
Kids are able to focus on more than one solitary aspect of their public presentation with the aid of digital devices and the Internet. Here are some of the types of kids that will be entering the dorms this year:
Whether at a pricey private college or a public one, there are always a few kids whose parents have an above average income. These kids have the cash to make a cool den for parties. Dead give-aways that you’ve found this type of kid are hard to miss: their room will have no empty space, nor will anything be bare.
That’s because the accoutrements of wealth don’t involve wanting for anything. Expect plush rugs, plenty of expensively framed images on the walls, and loads of baubles and trinkets throughout the room. Everything will have a high end brand name attached as well.
Whether male or female, fashionistas feel that their reason for existence revolves around the display of only the latest in fashion attire. They may place little value on any particular fashion, since it’s being dictated to them by someone else. This is why the term ‘slave to fashion’ exists – true fashionistas won’t attempt to inject much of their own touch into their presentation, but will instead take it verbatim from the lips of designers.
They’re most easily spotted by looking for the unusual outfits that no one else is yet wearing; fashion-forward folks are also way ahead of everybody else’s styles.
Often found famously ‘looking down’ (towards their shoes), the Emo crowd prides themselves on wearing their emotions on their sleeves. That emotion is often geared towards sadness and introversion, coupled with lots of soul-searching.
Essential accessories for the Emo crowd include a few Morrissey posters, skinny jeans, and sweaters. Don’t look for this stuff to be presented in colors, either – black, white, and gray rule the Emo day.
Individualism means that some athletic types have left the teams behind, yet retain their athletic ability by pursuing new and different sports. Rock climbing, ultra running or cycling, kayaking, mountain biking, and even paragliding round out the new types of endeavors that the most individual athletes are pursuing. How to spot them when you go back to school?
They’re the ones with a load of ‘unusual’ sport specific gear. If their idea of a fun afternoon involves using tools and gear you’re unfamiliar with, chances are that you’re looking at the newest breed of individual athlete.
Sometimes known as cliquey, these are the kids who seem to prefer to ‘do’ things by sitting down in one place a lot of the time. Whether that leads to drinking coffee, playing cards, or discussing philosophy, there will be caffeine present! These kids will often skip class, instead preferring to learn outside the classroom with friends they’ve landed in class.
The most important identifiers for the socializer crowd are that everyone knows their names, but no one has their digits. Oh, and a favorite corner somewhere where mutual friends can hold court at will, then leave as they please, is the spot to find these kids hanging out before parties.
Also known as the full ride scholarship types, these students will have thicker books than everyone else, because they’re usually taking more difficult and advanced classes. They’re hard to pick out of the crowd sometimes, because they’ve become sensitive to setting the curve and taking flack for doing so.
A few telltale signs that you’re looking at a straight A student: they’re frequently chatting with the professor, answering questions no one else in the classroom is able to answer, or they’re telling you what you did wrong! The braniacs use the same notebooks and laptops that everyone else uses. However, they do more with these items, since they’re more than adept at multitasking with different parts of their large brains.
Formerly known as the electronics whizzes, members of this group don’t leave their rooms without at least one gadget, typically a smartphone. But whereas smartphones are relatively common today, these people actually know how to use virtually every function. For functions they’d like to have, they write code!
Keep an eye out for telltale batteries. Devices come and go in popularity, but they all require lots of portable power.
Social media experts who believe that the more friends they list on their social media networks, the more they’ll be known. With one electronic Internet device or another, they’re constantly updating their status to keep others abreast of what the latest in their lives is about.
The groups are not all that different than in past generations of college kids, but the up-to-date nature of kids in each group allows them to be more in tune with the world around them than previous generations managed. And all the while, they still give clues as to their areas of interest and their allegiance.