Deciding what to wear on any given day is a difficult decision, but as the calendar flips from March to April, that decision for seniors becomes increasingly difficult. The judgment, questions, and assumptions grow exponentially if you wear any college shirt.

“Are you going to Harvard?”

“Did you get into Michigan?”

“So, you decided on Illinois?”

Just the simple decision to put on one T-shirt or sweatshirt with a college name on it can send gossip circles reeling.

“She got into Duke?”

“He’s going to Indiana?”

“They decided to attend Florida State?”

A college T-shirt is a T-shirt, and one should not be judged, be assumed to be making a public statement, or be presumed to be committed to one college or another just by putting on a shirt, and yet assumptions are made as soon as the shirt is worn, particularly as the school year comes to an end.

“I only wear Illini gear because it’s my dream school. I love everything about UIUC and I don’t see the point in wearing merch for a school that I don’t like or don’t plan to go to. I understand that it’s fun to wear an Ivy League school sweatshirt or a T-shirt for a Big Ten school, but personally, I’ve never been a fan of wearing something that isn’t representative of who I am and my goals,” senior Meghan Pierce said.

“People could not believe that I would wear any school gear other than my own, but I don’t see what the big deal is,” said a senior who wants to remain anonymous.

So, does wearing a college shirt mean anything? Among the students interviewed, the general consensus was no. In fact, they repeatedly mentioned that wearing a college shirt is aspirational. However, with very few exceptions, the strong opinions were that, after Christmas break senior year, a senior should only wear the gear of a college that the student is attending. A minority supported wearing clothing of a college to which the senior was accepted, but it was universally believed that if a second-semester senior wears college gear, that is the gear of the school which they will be attending in the fall.

So, a word to the wise for all you lower classmen as you traverse the country and visit potential colleges, do not buy a shirt from every college you visit. Your time to wear those shirts is limited and those practically new shirts will be headed for the recycling bin as you commit to one school out of the bunch. So, instead of purchasing a shirt from every school, wait until you have made a decision on a college and then load up. Proudly wear your school colors and school logo. Before that, continue to shop at the Booster store and enjoy the fleeting moments of Scout Pride. These moments go too fast.