As an American from the Midwest, there was one thing which threw me during my first semester at Trinity. As a film major, with friends in English and Art History, I was immediately flung into the Arts Block. Trinity students will be no stranger to the Arts Block Stereotype. During a typical day in this building’s clutches, you’ll witness fellow students wearing vintage leather jackets, tiny scarves, and military boots. You’ll hear conversations about when the next Midnight Disco is, or the latest Adrianne Lenker album. Ask for a café recommendation in Dublin, and you’ll find other arts majors journaling in a navy blue Moleskine or reading Joan Didion. On the weekends, you might find yourself drawn in the direction of  Loot on George’s Street, or catching a film at the Lighthouse. If you’re feeling stressed, you and your friends will roll a nice cigarette on the benches outside the arts block. You’ll run into fellow “Dublin Creatives”, who are either making art or becoming a DJ, selling clothes or a micro influencer on Instagram. If any of this sounds familiar to you, you have experienced several stereotypes Trinity College’s Arts Block. 

At first, I didn’t understand. Why did everyone here love Bob Dylan? How could everyone could afford DJ sets? Trying to keep track of who went   where during their summer of Interrailing was impossible. I had classic Impostor’s Syndrome. I remember feeling so out of place with the Europeans of Trinity. I scrolled through Instagram for hours. I spent the entire morning getting ready for classes and too much money at thrift stores buying outfits I never wore. 

Many of my American friends felt this initial isolation as well. We felt obnoxious at parties. All we’d ever known was Travis Scott’s ‘Sicko Mode’ at parties, not Ethiopian Jazz. All we have ever known is hearing “Sicko Mode” by Travis Scott instead of Ethiopian jazz at a function. Now, we were embarrassed by our lack of layered rings and knowledge of  how to roll a cigarette. We’d discuss how to start being more creative;learn to paint or sell our clothes on Depop. I recall my friends and I admitting our insecurities whenever a stylish European girl would walk by. We’d wonder how to become more carefree and charming, instead of embodying the classic American hustle. It was an exhausting first year, and I know many of my American friends agree. No matter what we did, it still felt like we were bottom of the hierarchy within the Trinity Arts Block. So, we changed tack. To find our niche, we leaned into being as “basic” as possible. Whether it was blasting Taylor Swift at pres, wearing leggings during classes, or pretending not to know who Franz Kafka was, we wanted to be what no one was. We embodied “anti-arts block arts block”. 

It was not until my second year that I realised how important it is to actually embrace the Arts Block stereotypes. At a friend’s birthday party, a group of European Arts Block majors and I were making small talk. I was intimidated by them, as all of them were incredibly cool. Then one of them admitted, sipping her bottle of Barefoot, that she was intimidated by me. She expressed how cool my Instagram was, how my outfits were stylish, and how she wanted to be a part of TrinityFm, like me . I was shocked. While I was so busy worrying about how people perceived me, I was not even thinking about what actually brought me joy. I love Taylor Swift, but I also love Bob Dylan. I have a leather jacket, but I enjoy wearing crocs on lazy class days. I love a South Dublin café, but sometimes you’ll catch me at KC Peaches. When I’m not creating things or taking photos with my film camera,  I’m playing Grand Theft Auto V with friends. 

What I’ve learned so far during my time at Trinity is how important it is to embrace yourself – whether that’s skinny scarves and DJing or watching the latest Netflix rom com. Trinity students can often be so caught up in our perceptions of each other that we forget how little others care. No one is judging  your Instagram feed, or what you wear, or what parties you go to. No one is thinking about if you’re going to Prague instead of Paris. If they are, it’s probably a result of insecurity. 

Whether you’re from County Clare or Texas, we are all reflecting on our identities during college. Shockingly, even cool European girls have moments of self-doubt. However, it’s crucial to think about what we really like and our passions, even within an arts block context. Being a young adult is hard, even as a Trinity Arts Block major, so we have to do what we can to look out for ourselves and each other. We should do things because we love doing them, not because we are worried about how people might view us while walking to class. I think while it is hilarious to make fun of these stereotypes, it is important to still keep doing what you love. So this year, enjoy listening to Aphex Twin on your way to your English lecture or going to the Wind Rave if that’s your thing. If you are having a sleepy day, you should definitely wear those sweatpants while getting a tea at the Perch or take a day to just watch Netflix Rom Coms. Do what’s best for you. Not what’s best for others.