I heard on the radio the other day that Kim Kardashian spends $103,000 per year to look the way that she does. That includes a plethora of random procedures and work that needs to be done. Despite her greatest asset clearly being her eyes, she spends a fortune on laser work.

I on the other hand, require some hair gel so that my hair is spiked and deodorant so that I don’t smell awful and scare people away.

For some reason, this all led me to thinking about your appearance in college.

How important is appearance in college?

It all depends on your program and what your situation is at the moment. I was in the business program and my classes were all held in the new building. I remember showing up in sweats one time and feeling out of place because everyone else was wearing dress pants. My buddy pulled me aside and kindly informed that in the business building you should try to at least wear jeans.

From then on I did my best to put on jeans and a shirt that I was ironed. When it came time for presentations I put on business casual wear so that I would appear professional while speaking in front of a group of my peers.

On the other hand, my friends in other programs would just show up wearing anything that they wanted. They didn’t care nor did they worry about what they wore as long as they were comfortable.

This leads into the next critical question…

Should you treat college like a fashion show?

Not at all. Be comfortable and feel good about yourself. If you happen to enjoy dressing up, then by all means continue doing so. Just remember that most other students are broke and it won’t shock anyone if you dress casually.

What about job interviews and possible scouting scenarios?

Dress for the job that you want.

I’ve always been told that you dress for the job that you want and not the job that you have. This means that you don’t dress like a broke college student to a serious job interview. Your goal is not to have people feel sorry for you. Your goal is to get the job. This means that you need to dress for the job that you want. If you don’t have any money, you can always borrow some decent clothing from your dad or a buddy. Do whatever you have to so that you appear presentable.

I’m actually curious to hear about how you dressed in college. Did you always look your best? Did you show up in sweats so that you could be as comfortable as possible?

Martin Dasko

Martin Dasko