Going back to school for my second year at college is something I’ve been looking forward to for the entire summer. I have enjoyed living far from home, having my own space, and being able to learn and explore the world as an independent person. I love my school and my friends, and I could not imagine a better environment for personal growth and the acquisition of knowledge. Along with all of these pleasures that make going back to school so appealing, there is a lot of added responsibility and anxiety that can also make the environment difficult to navigate.
Like many of us, I always spent the month of August wondering who my teachers would be, what kind of homework I’d get, and who might be in my classes. In the past, the ambiguity made me a little nervous about going back to school, until I faced the most nerve-wracking August of my life. That August, I was preparing to go back to school after receiving treatment for my eating disorder.
I was terrified.
As we all know, being a student is tough. From back-to-school changes to busy schedules throughout the year, many students feel a strain - and that can be especially true for those affected by eating disorders.
In an online poll conducted by NEDA, we found that over one third of students expressed that their school had no eating disorders resources available to them, so this is a very common problem. That’s why NEDA is focusing more of our efforts on supporting young people.
I believe that traveling teaches us so much about ourselves, the world, and our relationship to both. That being said, traveling was merely a dream I had for a very long time. I very much wanted to experience new places. I wanted to feel the excitement of new surroundings. I wanted to learn and be a part of new cultures. But I was held prisoner by an eating disorder.
“But I’m just not that artistic!” is something I hear frequently in practice with individuals working through their eating disorder recovery. You don’t have to consider yourself “artistic “to use creative expression as a coping mechanism in your recovery journey. Art in its many forms can serve as a positive way to cope or as a distraction from the eating disorder voice in your head.
Women grow up knowing that if we have a problem with the status quo, the burden is on us to change—cover up and don’t look slutty, don’t drink so much, learn how to defend yourself. Don’t be a distraction.
As a college student, these societal expectations are repulsive. Teachers should be educating students on how to challenge cultural norms, expand their minds, and think critically about the messages they receive. Instead, young girls are being humiliated, objectified, and sexualized—with emotionally devastating consequences.
The first time I got in trouble for clothing at school, or got “dress-coded,” I was 12. It was around the time that wearing leggings and jean skirts was super “in.” That day I wore a jean skirt, likely an inch shorter than school allowed, black leggings to cover up the rest of my legs so I would not get in trouble, and a scoop-neck T-shirt.
“Hey, look at that tree, Annie. That’s just like you. Your roots go down so deep, and one day you will be like that tree—reaching out, expanding, flourishing so that you can help others."
So, you want to live with six girls? Fabulous. They will be the most caring, compassionate, and intelligent people you have ever encountered—but when you put so many people in an enclosed space, issues tend to manifest.
If you notice something on your school’s campus that you strongly disagree with, you may feel moved to do something about it. One way to fight for change is by creating a petition against a program or policy. But where do you even start? Here are some helpful steps for working on a petition that can bring about real change on campus.
1. Use your personal experiences.