When I braved entering graduate school, I only had one thing in mind – to study again. I wanted to expand my knowledge, be a well-rounded communication practitioner and supplement the things I am learning in corporate with theories and concepts that only a graduate program can provide. Little did I know that being a graduate student has its own perks. These are not only the knowledge you acquire. It also includes added sex appeal.
Smart is the new sexy, they say. Six-packed abs, toned muscles and a brawny torso don’t always suffice when the one lacks substance. Physical attractiveness makes heads to turn but it’s the quality of what you bring to the table when conversations ignites that often hooks us. While not everyone in graduate school is amazingly smart (Ha!), taking your master’s degree adds to your ‘X’ factor. Let’s make things clear. This is not to say that I am sexier now than before graduate school (I don’t even think I am attractive). These are only based on what I have noticed about me and my classmates in my first year in graduate school.
Just the idea of it is sexy. Each time I meet or date someone, during the get-to-know stage, when guys ask questions about what I do or what keeps me busy, I tend to receive a “wow” reaction when they learn that I am completing a degree while I work full-time. I guess because not everyone has the guts and willpower to rise to the challenge of graduate school makes it impressive to others. The determination and capacity to juggle the demand of work and school is admirable. What I love about this is when I inspire them to give graduate school a shot. I tell them that they can do it just the way I can. The difficulty of graduate school is bearable, but it will eat a lot of your time.
Your self-confidence is fueled. In graduate school, you do not only grow knowledge; you also develop a “can do” attitude. With all the killer pressure and stress you have overcome, you gain extra confident that there’s nothing you cannot do anymore. And we all know that confidence exudes sexiness. People can feel your confidence when you have it and it’s an asset they will find sexy. But be wary not to be over-confident because you might just be seen as cocky.
Theories become part of normal chats. I was catching up with a close friend when he broke news about something to me and my reaction was “Wait. I’m having cognitive dissonance.”
You just can’t help it. All these theories and concepts will become normal to you that you may bring them up in normal conversations. When my classmates are having fun and we feel a bit closer than before, we would tease that ‘one layer of an onion has been peeled’ (from Social Penetration Theory). I don’t’ know if it’s just me but I think that’s sexy.
You see the world through a new lens. Perhaps being soaked in endless readings, analytical exercises and theories has its gains. You begin seeing things in a different and deeper perspective. You will have something to say about almost anything except of course those that do not interest you (but sometimes you still feel the urge to contribute to the conversations even if your knowledge about the subject is limited). In short, you grow and that’s sexy.
BUTOTOY ang itawag mo sa akin. 