#juni's turn

[bashfulmusician]

I was looking at glasses online out of curiosity (I miss my old “nerd frames” - the solid black ones I had two years ago). 

I noticed a multicolor search option, so I hit it out of curiosity:

You can get. Rainbow. Prescription. Glasses.

I know what I’m getting myself for my birthday!!! (which just happens to be during Pride Month)

[bashfulmusician]

College Textbooks???

I was at the campus bookstore a couple weeks ago when a mom and freshman daughter were buying textbooks. Their grand total? Over a thousand dollars. I kid you not. My freshman year I spent over $600 on books, and that was before I had to take all the classes I do now.

As an American senior college student, I've learned a trick or two for going around the high price of textbooks. Here's my advice (please share this and make it spread as much as possible!!!!)

1. Write down all of the textbooks that you need. This means (yes, I know) reading the class syllabi. The professors usually list the required books in this. If it is a "supplemental book" do NOT go out and get it. These can sometimes be found either online or at your school's library. Usually you don't even need them.

Wait. I know what you're thinking and how you feel: you need the books before the semester starts! But hang on. Wait until you attend your classes. The first day of class the professor will go over the syllabus and textbooks. Sometimes they even put the first chapter online for you. Others even reserve the books at the school library. My point is that you may not need to obtain the book yourself. It may already be at the school for you to borrow as you need.

Once you know what books you'll need, make yourself a mini chart. You're going to basically conduct your own price matching. Sure, there are websites that claim to do it for you, but I've found books for way cheaper than those sites claim them to be. These are the sites I use every year (I got five or six books for about $100 this semester): Textbookrush; Chegg; Amazon; Thriftbooks; Valorebooks. I've heard that Ebay is good too, but I don't personally use it. Write down the price on each website for each book, noting whether it's a rental or used. This will also be helpful if you end up both renting and buying books, like me.

A couple notes for when you're price matching: A. Don't be afraid of used books. The only site where I would worry about this is Amazon, and then I would check the reviews of the actual provider. I have yet to get a junky used book from buying online. B. Rentals are great! If you don't need a computer access code and the book will never be helpful to you outside of college, by all means just rent it! But ultimately this decision comes down to the cheapest option.

Once you've found the cheapest prices for your books, make the purchases and have them sent to your house/dorm/apartment. MAKE SURE TO SAVE THE BOXES AND PACKAGING. If it's a rental, you can re-use this at the end of the semester. Even if you bought the book, you can use the packaging if you want to re-sell the book. (Yes, you can sell your textbooks at the end of the semester! I'd recommend Chegg or Valorebooks for this. Sometimes your school may even buy them from you. This is all called textbook buy back...at least at my university.)

That's all the advice I have. If you have any questions, please message me or send me an ask!

Your old and ready to graduate college student,

~June

[bashfulmusician]

So that thing I've been going on about??? Here it is!!!

My university's LGBT+ group partnered with GC2B and now they can offer binders to those who need them!

As someone who has chest dysphoria on they/them (and rare he/him) days, I've been trying to get one of these for months! I signed up to get one of the free giveaway ones, but I've been on the list since July.

Guys... My chest is flat finally. I can finally look flat-chested when I feel androgynous or masculine. No more layering sports bras and struggling with a compression bra that hurts my back and sides! Sure I have to get used to it now, but it's worth it :')

I gave the grad assistant a huge hug and I cried in the office. I just...she even made sure that I could breathe and move around.

NO! MORE! CHEST! DYSPHORIA! WHEN I'M ANDROGYNOUS!! OR MASCULINE!!! :'DDD

❤💛💖💚💙💜💗💟💜❤💓

[bashfulmusician]

I’m sorry for disappearing for so long. Life has been stressful and hectic, and a lot has been going on. But I finally took some me-time and spent a weekend with my two best friends. 

They both know that I’m gay, ace, and questioning my gender right now, and so we all went to a second hand store to look for clothes. They were so helpful and sweet, they helped me finally find a pair of men’s dress pants that fit. The guy (he’s gay and has been very open and accepting, he’s basically adopted me under his wing) even helped me pick out the right color dress shirt (apparently I look good in red, and he’s right). I also found a pair of leather heels for when I want to freaking STRUT.

He even took me out to a mall today and we searched for a suit jacket. We found out my size and even though we didn’t find a jacket I could afford and fit, he helped me and took me around. When I said that I didn’t want to look at or try any girly clothes on, he respected that and even had me try on some masculine clothes to help me feel better (by which I mean he held out some article of masculine clothing, said “try this on”, and I realized that I look really good in some of what he was suggesting). 

I didn’t tell him that I have dysphoria, but I think he could tell that I was anxious to be in the men’s section of the stores with people around (people were looking at me strangely), but he helped me and took my mind off of my fear. 

And yesterday, when we couldn’t find a jacket at the second-hand store, he took the three of us to his house and searched through some of his old clothes to try and find one for me. 

I just...he’s gay and there’s no romantic attraction between us at all. I want to make that clear. It’s like having a big brother who respects me and cares that I’m comfortable in my own skin. And after being disrespected by my family, comforting my sister who is experiencing bullying and basically being told to toughen up, and then me experiencing dysphoria, internalized homophobia, and homophobia straight to my face from my family (who I’m in the closet with) it just...

I’m trying not to cry. It meant so much and they are the best friends I could ever ask for. I know that if I tell them that ‘hey, I think I’m a guy’ they’d be ok with it. Even the other best friend, who’s a Christian, is accepting and helped me find an outfit. I love them :’) So :”) Freaking :’) MUCH :”””D

[bashfulmusician]

I have an important announcement

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I'm gay

[bashfulmusician]

Day two of pretending to be a "heterosexual":

They still have no idea that I'm not one of them. I am disguised as a straight, cisgendered woman and no one is any wiser at least I hope not

[bashfulmusician]

Day four of pretending to be a "heterosexual":

The flannels have created suspicion. I repeat: THE FLANNELS HAVE CREATED SUSPICION.

But they still haven't noticed the dysphoria. So far, so good.

[bashfulmusician]

Day three of pretending to be a "heterosexual":

Still no idea. I thought for sure the flannels would be a dead give-away, but so far no. I've gotten brave and worn my braided pride flag bracelets (ignore the green, blue, and yellow one) - they don't seem to know their significance.