#mtf stuff

Hello there! I've updated The Transgender Dictionary so that instead of a lowly carrd, it is instead a HTML website of my own creation. Feel free to share it around as you like.

[IMPORTANT MESSAGE AT THE END PLEASE TAKE A SECOND TO READ IT]

I'm a high school junior (if you don't know what a junior is, I graduate next school year), and as such I've started looking into colleges. I'm also applying to a month-long summer program where I'll be living on a college campus about 7 hours away and taking classes. With all the research I've been doing, I've learned some things that are important

Trans-Related Tips

Are bathrooms accessable for trans people ? This might go without saying, but you're obviously going to have to use the restroom while at school. Policies tend to vary by school on which ones you can use, so ASK. We have college visits where we talk to admissions officers and can ask questions, but if you don't have that, get online and find out. Google "[name of school] transgender bathroom policies" or send an email to admissions. I've had schools tell me I can use male restrooms, but I've also had schools tell me I'd have to use female. It's an important thing to know

On that note, what about dorms ? Some schools have dorms that strictly divide students based on sex/gender (whichever one it may be). Some dorms are co-ed. Some dorms are single-person and you share a bathroom. Some schools have apartment-style dorms where you have a bedroom and you share everything else. Some schools even have dorms that are LGBTQ+ inclusive, where you can be placed with students who are just like you. ASK. Talk to someone, email someone, call someone. Don't get to school and be placed with the wrong gender. And if they have options for you, TELL THEM YOU ARE TRANSGENDER WHEN YOU APPLY. Most places look at your birth certificate and placed you based on if it says M or F. If you want an LGBTQ+ dorm, or to be placed in a dorm that doesn't match your gender assigned at birth, TELL THEM. They won't know otherwise

If you want to play sports, ask about transgender policies. Some times they're totally inclusive, some times it's case to case, sometimes it's whatever you were assigned at birth. ASK. And ask for you specifically. If I talk to a college, I tell them "I'm female to male transgender, and I want to swim in college. What team would I be on ?" Make it specific to you and your sports. Don't get a nasty surprise at the start of the season

This applies to all minorities, but will use trans-related wording: Find out what the school climate is like. And this applies to all minorities. If you're trans, ask if there are other trans students. If you want to see people like you, and you don't want to stick out or be "different", find out if there are people like you. And ask about other students. Are the people there generally accepting towards trans people, or do they have a tendency to be transphobic ? Schools will tell you. I've had people flat out say that it's not a welcoming climate for trans people, and that I might be safer to apply somewhere else

What about teachers ? If you ask them to, will they use your name and pronouns ? Or are they going to misgender you ? If your name and gender aren't legally changed, and you have to tell your professors what name and pronouns to use, make sure your decision will be accepted

Another important note is to FIND OUT WHAT NAME TO APPLY UNDER. I've had schools say to use my legal name, but I've also had schools say to use my preferred name. If it's your preferred name, what do you need to do to make sure everything goes smoothly ? Do you need to tell admissions you're trans so they know why your birth certificate and transcript don't match ? If so, find out. What about test scores ? In America we take SAT and AP exams that are directly from the college board. My college board account is under the name Greyson, and lists me as a male. I was told by my high school guidance office when I set it up that I could do that. All of my tests list me as a boy. If you have to apply under your legal name, how do your test scores transfer ? Who do you need to talk to about that ? How do you make sure there aren't any complications ? This is extremely important, because it could cause trouble with your application otherwise

What's the city like ? Are they inclusive to trans people, or is it unsafe for you to live there ? If you're moving away from home, PLEASE don't end up in an unfamiliar city where you're going to be in danger because you exist. You have to be careful

General Tips

Speaking of the city you move to, what are the crime rates ? Are you going to be safe off campus ? Should you leave at night ? Should you carry pepper spray or something for self defense ? Safety is the top priority

If you're like me and you can't go home for holidays/summer, does the campus have year-round dorms ? You probably don't want to go buy an apartment for the summer, or get a hotel for the holidays. That would not only suck, but be expensive. Make sure you always have somewhere to stay.

What do the meal plans look like ? How many meals do you get per week ? what's that add up to daily ? I recommend 2 meals a day (14 a week). Have a box of cereal in your dorm, and have that for breakfast. Then, eat lunch and dinner on campus.

On the topic of meal plans, does your school have extra meals ? some schools have tokens or "credit card" type systems where there's pre-loaded money that you can use to buy something extra (like a fancy drink or a snack or something), or some places even have options to use that money for places off campus. like if you have a fast food place down the street. If that's an option, it's usually included in your meal plan, and the money is refilled monthly. If you're paying for it, make sure you know about it. Don't waste your money

Find out EXACTLY what you need to bring to your dorm. Most dorms are pre-furnished. If it's college-provided apartments, some of them have furniture, some don't. Know ahead of time. If possible, get a dorm that's pre-furnished

Books are a really expensive part of college. A lot of people will tell you to get them free online, which i totally agree with ! But if you're like me and you're a visual learner, a physical book is nice because you can mark it up. In that case, try and find books second hand. Also, try and wait until class starts to buy your books. Some professors will tell you not to even get a book.

That's all I've got for you. I know this account has been kind of quiet lately, and it's because I don't know what kind of content you want. Below is the link to a Google form where you can tell me a little more about what content you like to see, and suggest posts that you would find helpful. It's super short, so please take a moment to fill it out. I want to continue helping my community. It's like 8 questions, and half of them are optional. It only takes a minute.