DJs, nurses and rugby boys: The guys redefining male stereotypes at uni

All rugby boys are meatheads and rowers are fit but boring. 

Stereotypes are everywhere you go at uni. From the gym to a nightclub, guys are pigeonholed into groups decided by their appearance and the way they behave.

But in reality, there is no one-size-fits-all image, look or personality. Five guys with very different perspectives and experiences of uni spoke to us about body image and how modern day masculinity is impacting them.

Meet the guys challenging stereotypes at uni:

Josh Relph, 22, Oxford Brookes, Nursing

Josh plays rugby, regularly boxes and occasionally swims, and he’s also a guy on a gendered degree course. 

As a guy in a stereotypically female profession, what are the everyday pressures on you?

There is a certain look people expect a nurse to have; no make up, hair tied off the collar and your dress should be ironed properly. But because I’m a male, with a 10mm stretcher, a beard and tattoos, I stick out like a sore thumb.

Just because I’m not clean shaven and tower over most elderly patients at 6ft tall, doesn’t make me any less caring for other people.

Yet people continue to tell me that having an earring, beard and visible tattoos isn’t the right image.

What are the biggest body image challenges facing guys at uni?

Physical appearance. I have had times where I look at myself in the mirror and felt disgusted with how I look, and I still have those issues more frequently than I would like to admit.

I absolutely hate that people feel they have to go to the gym, ‘get ripped’, ‘get the perfect body’ and life will then fall into place. Obviously, that is not the case.

Roo Willis-Powell, 21, Falmouth, Marine and Natural History Photography

From year nine to sixth form, Roo spent a lot of time hiding his gender identity and the fact he’s transgender.

What’s it like to be transgender at university? 

For the most part, it’s OK. There are sometimes instances where course-mates slip up and refer to me with the wrong pronouns.

I made sure before my course had even started to let everyone know I was trans – including my tutors and lecturers.

I’ve become more comfortable in my body and in my own sense of “masculinity”, I’ve come to care less and less about how others perceive me, because I know, like those important to me know, who I am.

Have you experienced any discrimination or awkward instances because of your transition?

I’ve not faced discrimination, but meeting new people can sometimes be awkward because I don’t look typically “male” or “masculine”.

I stand at 5ft2, have generally androgynous features and no facial hair (though believe me, it’s not for lack of wanting!), and have a tendency to speak slightly higher when nervous, excited, or trying to be friendly – meaning people often mistake me for a girl.

Liam Matear, 23, Cardiff and now Portsmouth, Coastal and Marine Resource Management

Liam has been DJing and producing music for years, performing to huge crowds across the UK and Ibiza.

Do you think there is an expectation for DJs to look and act a certain way?

To be honest, I think it depends on the music, the types of events, and what the DJ plays. All things have their social cliques. So of course there’s a huge expectation for DJs to look a certain way, which is a shame, but hey, you get that anywhere, with anything.

How much do you spend on your physical appearance and wellbeing?

I think in the grand scheme of things, quite little. I pay for a gym membership, which I train at six days a week. But that’s about it? I’m never organised enough to remember to take things like creatine, and do it properly.

Rahoul Naik, 20, Lancaster, European Management and Spanish

Rahoul grew up in Leicester most of his life, when he went to uni he had to change the way he dressed to ‘fit in’.

What are the main body image issues guys facing guys?

About ¾ years ago as I moved into college, many of my friends started to go to the gym to life weights, build muscle and look ‘hench’.

The popular kids tend to be rugby players who are big, muscly, rugged and sometimes violent – almost everything society wants a man to be.

I myself had the challenge of losing some weight, even though I play rugby. For my body size, I’m still quite a confident man and I do not let the perceptions of body image get in my way, rather, I want to be healthy.

Have you done anything differently to fit in?

Personally, being from Leicester, I was brought up around many different cultures and ethnicities and I did not have to do very much to “fit in” as everyone around me was like me.

Coming to university, there were two things I consciously changed to not necessarily ‘fit in’ but to be considered ‘normal’.

I changed the way I dress to look less ‘hood’ or ‘street’ in order to make people less ‘afraid’ of me; many people used to cross the road when I was walking and it made me feel uncomfortable that my dress sense did this.

Chris Illett, 21, York, Biomedical Science

Balancing a demanding degree course with rugby and nightlife has meant Chris has to train every other day to stay in shape.

Is there a general feeling among the squad that you have to look a certain way? Where have these expectations come from?

Not really, but most players would want to be bigger. As long as you’re playing well it doesn’t matter though.

I think the expectations come from the changes that have happened in the professional game. Every year those players seem to get bigger and more physical.

What do you think the biggest body image challenge facing men?

Not to be really overweight. If you’ve got a pretty average physique I don’t think there’s any problem.

Lynx asked a series of guys from all over the UK about how they think a man should look – watch the video below to find out what they said. 

This videos is part of the ‘Men in Progress’ series, which aims to explore and debunk masculinity and what it means to be a guy in 2016.