Student 3

1.My Leg Hair Growth

Personal experiences can force people to be aware of certain stereotypes and stigma surrounding gender.

Growing up, I used to cry over the amount of leg hair I had; a result of snide remarks made by my peers. I was constantly trying to hide my hairy legs in order to distance myself from the notion that I was unattractive and unhygienic (Halo effect). Due to the constant comments, I was made aware of the stigma surrounding women’s body hair. As I experienced an abundance of prejudiced statements I learned that the disgust regarding women’s leg hair stemmed from beauty standards and societal pressure. My personal experiences with other people’s ignorance regarding leg hair helped me to comprehend that for women to be socially accepted, their bare legs had to be shaved. My experiences also shaped my understanding such that I realized that shaved legs were a societal signifier of cleanliness and class. As I entered high school and dealt with a significant rise in comments regarding my leg hair I discovered that stigma concerning leg hair was also propagated by pornography and fashion photography. I comprehended that advertisers and businesses upheld that women, especially young girls, needed to shave their legs to avoid embarrassment and be perceived as beautiful. My personal experiences enlightened me in regards to the gender stereotypes and stigma surrounding the female body.

Comparatively, my male peers would not have undergone this same response regarding their body hair. Although women are conditioned to believe that having leg hair is gross, it is perfectly reasonable for men to have body hair. However, this contrast in expectation further highlights the relationship between personal experience and knowledge as the men’s lack of knowledge means that they will never understand the extent of the effect of the stigma surrounding female leg hair.

2. Rajagiri Christu Jayanthi Public School

Personal experiences can have a substantial impact on a person’s view of their environment.

In 2016 my family moved to Kerela where I had to continue my education at the Rajagiri Chrsitu Jayanti Public School. I had moved twice before this move, however, I quickly learned that moving to a school in a completely different country; does not equate to moving to schools within Texas. I experienced an immense culture shock, I learned that not only do multiple Indians view Americans as snobby people, but they also perform mannerisms that were worlds apart from what I was used to. Moving to the Rajagiri introduced me to a new world of traditions become accustomed to. Attending a school in India completely changed my view of the way schools operated. Everything I thought I knew from attending various schools in Texas differed exponentially from the experiences I encountered in India. Especially because cultural differences in children's learning styles develop through their early experiences and I joined the Indian learning style at the age of 11, the school’s values and traditional lifestyle differed vastly from mine.

Comparatively, my younger brother who also moved to Rajagiri had a starkly dissimilar experience. As he changed schools at a younger age, he did not have as much difficulty as I did become accustomed to the environment. In fact, whenever asked about his experiences at Rajagiri he tends to speak about the school in a more positive light than I do.

1. My Lubriderm Lotion

Negative personal experiences can influence people’s individual views thus influencing them to change certain routines and the motivations behind them.

When I was 13, I decided it was time for me to start regularly applying Lubriderm lotion. The very first day that I started the routine, my friend commented that she was surprised my skin was not dry. From that day onwards I diligently applied Lubriderm lotion no matter the occasion. It intrigued me that as a result of a singular backhanded compliment, I altered my daily routine. The experience with her comment taught me that people who receive backhanded comments or compliments are more likely to rank themselves unfavorably compared to others, as I did with my friend. Putting on lotion every day moved me to understand that regardless of anyone’s self-awareness of another person’s rudeness in regards to backhanded comments, they still tend to have lower self-perceptions. In regards to my experience with the lotion, I realized that although the daily routine that I now practiced was extremely healthy and beneficial to myself, my motivation behind the routine was not with my own benefit in mind. I conceded that the rationale for my newfound lotion applying routine was the backhanded comment I received.

Comparatively, someone who started their self-care journey (applying lotion daily) with the intention of positive self-betterment will have a remarkably more positive relationship with their daily routines than I did.