The struggle of being short in college

I didn’t choose the short life, it chose me

My biggest worry before starting college was if I was going to be confused as a middle schooler instead of college freshman.

Being short has it’s ups and downs. My friends and family call me “chiquita”, which means small in Spanish and my favorite dining hall worker calls me “little shawty”. My height has gotten me to pay for children’s prices at restaurants or been a reason to wear heels!

There are a few things every girl of my height can relate to- here’s a little sneak peek of this wonderful size.

People use our size for their comfort

There’s so many benefits of being short if you really begin to think about it. For example, I could wear heels without worrying go being extremely taller than my other friends. But the joy of my shortness is over once you use my head as your arm stop. That’s when it gets real.

Photos with our tall friends are torture

I love taking photos when I’m out with my friends and family, but it’s torture to see the awkward height difference. You’d be surprised how many times I’ve been told to stand in the middle of the group photo, so I wouldn’t be lost amongst everyone (awk).

This is what you see. . .

 …but this is what I see

Let me just say, if you see a girl attempting to reach for something high, HELP HER OUT! It’s a real struggle and it’s even worse if you need to jump and create a scene when you need to get something.

Our feet never touch the floor

It’s the worst/funniest thing when someone notices that your feet does not touch the floor. Thank you for informing me on my short legs, it’s not like I haven’t been walking with them for 19 years now.

People love to hug us because we’re “fun sized”

“You’re so cute and short!!” Once again, thanks I love my height too, but I’m not a stuffed animal that you could squeeze all the time!

Going to concert? You’re going to need a stool to see over the people in front of you!

If bringing stools was socially acceptable, I would bring one all the time. The struggle of attempting to record or even watch your favorite artist perform, is a battle that I shamelessly lose because of my short arms *sigh*.

We look ten times shorter in videos

Every short girl can agree with me on this, but taking a video is either a fun time OR the moment that you realize how extremely small you are! It’s even more of an embarrassment when they need to lower the camera just for you.

We never need to worry about bending down

I could walk right under you if you open the door for me. You might confuse me as an elf but I’m just like you, I swear.

That awkward moment when a dog is almost the same height as you

The funny thing about this photo was the fact that I was wearing boot heels. Therefore, the dog was technically the same height as me. Oh, the perks of being short.

Yes. Being short has some disadvantages. But you know what? Being the same height as a dog equals perfect petting conditions.

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Temple University