Anxiety of being in a program with a high female demograpic

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sidetrack
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15 Nov 2015, 7:51 pm

I'd like to bring up how I'm in a community college program (office administration-executive stream) where there is a predominantly female demographic. Factors like the presence of certain ppl like a former crush and just the hurdle of trying to engage competently with the class information there is my struggle with feeling that I have to "answer for" being in a predominantly female prevalent environment

:? One reason why Mike Trapp's part in this collegehumor video resonates with me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctP88cVuk-k
(kind of crass but nothing visually offensive)

Even though for the sake of not detracting/"getting the point", I feel kind of bad being as less-than-mediocre as I am in the program b/c I feel in a way that even though my "functional schooling" is drawing to a cease,I'm being 'coddled' by achieving women (my teachers and classmates) when I struggle to do homework which is difficult to me and ask help from women.

Junk statements like "mama's boy" come to my mind and to put it one way in my past there is a streak of incompetent,cocky,male teachers with a "our gang" kind of attitude who used their masculine-ish swagger as a cover up for how inconsiderate they are,including a poser math teacher of a real estate agent who to my severe chagrin works at the community college now ">~< =_= .

I have no interest in women. Not now and I'm not sure as to whether it can be developed. What I do care about is making it through this program intact and sane but images of macho dipsticks past and the potential point of my being ridiculed for being 'infantalized' or somethign like that,spring within my mind.

-_- I'm aware that in other programs which have in the past been predominantl female like nursing,I would not doubt how male students might feel like this themselves.



kraftiekortie
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16 Nov 2015, 8:17 pm

My major was Speech Pathology. Out of maybe 100 people in the major, TWO were guys. I did okay. I didn't go on to Grad School for Speech Pathology, though.

My college was about 80-20 in favor of females. It was an all-women college until 1991.

Never had a problem. Never got a chick, though LOL



SocOfAutism
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17 Nov 2015, 1:40 pm

kraftiekortie wrote:
My major was Speech Pathology. Out of maybe 100 people in the major, TWO were guys. I did okay. I didn't go on to Grad School for Speech Pathology, though.

My college was about 80-20 in favor of females. It was an all-women college until 1991.

Never had a problem. Never got a chick, though LOL


Speech Pathology? Is that a hard field to get into, Kraftie? Why did you go on to data entry instead?

OP- You're going to have a hard time. Just like women in male-dominated fields. The good news is that you'll probably advance sooner and get paid more for the same reason why you'll be picked on- you'll stand out. Also, the men you'll work with will feel more comfortable speaking with you. I know an aspie guy that is taking an office administration job over from his aspie dad in a female dominated environment. The lower workers happen to be mostly female and the higher workers happen to be mostly male. It subconsciously gives you an edge. Maybe a little sexist, but if you've had to fight your way through to be in this field, maybe it's okay to enjoy a few perks.

And it's actually really, really good that you're not attracted to the women around you. You're treating them like human beings, even when you're uncomfortable, and they will respond positively to that. They'll ACT like human beings and pick on you less.



kraftiekortie
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17 Nov 2015, 2:25 pm

I started data entry 35 years ago--1980

I didn't get my bachelor's in Speech Pathology/English until 2006.

I decided not to go further into Speech Pathology because it requires a person who is very precise as to how to treat swallowing disorders/speech disorders. Some remedies involve precise manipulation of the jaw.

I also didn't do so well in the practicum because of Asperger's related things, I believe. I was too psychotherapeutic instead of treating the underlying cause of (mispronunciation of certain phonemes). I only got a B in the practicum; most other people got A's. If I didn't have a civil service job at the time of graduation, I might have gone for the Master's, despite my lack of practical/physical ability.