Samantha and Felicity lived in my dorm room last year and Jess and Anna are my currernt dorm dolls. I was worried about having dolls in my dorm room the first two years. I was nervous that they might get stolen and thought I might seem nerdy, but got over it. I wouldn't take all fourteen though, because space is probably going to be an issue in any dorm room. Two is enough for me, though an apartment would probably afford more space.
The only reason my other dolls didn't come back to my dorm room this year was that it would have been a pain schlepping them all here from their current residence on the west coast, but the void has been filled by my two new dolls. I still feel a tiny bit self-conscious, but reaction toward the dolls has all been positive. My roommate and passersby thought it was cool that I had my dolls on campus, and my friends like seeing the new things I get for them or when I change their outfits for the seasons. Even my boyfriend tolerates my obsession in the same manner that I tolerate his video game and rpg obsession, lol, which is completely contrary to silly warnings from my stepmom. Girls bring all kinds of stuffed animals with them to school, so why not dolls, too?
For the most part, college is pretty laid back, so just about anything goes, and there are so many people that you'll find it easy to choose to simply not interact with the few who might be obnoxious. No offense to anyone who is a Greek, but the only place where one tends to hear any complaints of cattiness and bad attitudes that the rest of us had the sense to leave behind in high school tends to be in sororities, though that also seems to be pretty infrequent.
IMO, it shows a measure of self confidence to show that you are not afraid to display what you enjoy for others' possible judgement.
Also, I can probably get away with having the dolls a little easier than others since one of my majors is History, with an emphasis on the Colonial/Revolutionary and Progressive eras of Felicity and Samantha. Jess's story incorporates my interest in archaeology, and my Anna is going to star in her own stories incorporating this region's history. Plus, I have been involved in both Revolutionary and Civil War re-enactment and love doing costuming for both humans and dolls. So, my dolls also kind of serve as my inspiration.
The only negative experience I have had with my dolls in college is when a makeshift milk-crate shelf fell off of my wall and took out Felicity and her stand from the top of a bookcase below on its way to the ground. Fortunately, Felicity was only slightly shaken and dissheveled from the fall, though the same could not be said for her stand, which got bent. This was through nothing but my own irresponsibility. So, basically, just watch where you put things. It's not terribly smart to put a valuable doll at the mercy of makeshift shelves that may fall from above at any minute. Just keep her in a relatively safe spot and your doll should be fine.
It is best to leave small accessories at home though, as they are the most likely to get lost. Samantha must have dropped her little purse with her handkerchief and penny sometime during the year or during packing at the end, because it has not been seen since.
If theft is what concerns you most: make sure that you do not display your doll within close proximity to a door. Lock your room when leaving it unoccupied. (okay, most of us cheat this rule if it's just a quick run to the bathroom, but that's at our own risk! this is why leaving stuff right next to the door is an especially bad idea, since it makes it easy to grab and run) And, maybe wait to display your doll until the chaos of the first few weeks of the semester are over and you are more familiar with the trustworthiness of your particular roommate/s and the security of your living situation.
And, if you do get an apartment and, in this hypothetical situation, if you are 21 and decide to host parties at said apartment, you might want to find a place to keep the dolls where they cannot be accidentally damaged. You don't have to worry about it in dorms, but I'd also be concerned about having an apartment with a roommate who smokes if the building does not require them to do so outside.
People here in Central Pennsylvania are incredibly nice, so it could be that I am just lucky and/or naiive, but I have never had a problem with the fact that I have brought my dolls to campus. Just make sure that you bring their wire wig brush with you.

Oh, and try to avoid the temptation to spend hours buying more doll things and looking for items on ebay all the time. That can eat up your time and textbook funds. Basically, all things in moderation. Get work done first. Yes, do as I say, not as I do. (although I'm just taking a break now, really I am!) [img]wink.gif[/img]

please excuse the novel, but I hope I helped!


(Edited for a glaring spelling error)

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ May 01, 2006 06:23 PM: Message edited by: jerseycow6 ]</font>