<p>Hi everyone.
I have a bit of a dilemma. I love my name and I think it's unique, but I don't think it will fit the image of the college I'm going to next year and people tend to constantly confuse it for a similar sounding name (which is pretty irritating for me). For that reason, I was considering going by a nickname that sounds somewhat similar to my name, but not quite.
How do I introduce myself, especially for sorority rush? Should I only say my nickname or say "My name is ______ but I go by _______."?</p>
<p>I know a number of people who do this, and I recommend only saying your nickname. I’m “_____.” No eyebrows raised unless it’s something unusual. Don’t be afraid to impart your real name if someone asked though.</p>
<p>Ok thanks!
Btw I’m going from Olympia to Mia.</p>
<p>I agree with Jazzed. Of course there will be your ‘legal name’ of Olympia on all the documents attached to school/the teachers’ rosters, etcetera, but when you introduce yourself to people, you can certainly say, “I’m Mia” and that includes introducing yourself in class to teachers… just let them know that on the roster, it’s Olympia, but you go by Mia. P.S. I love both names. :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice and thanks lawrencemom :)</p>
<p>That’s a perfectly fine nickname to have, and your name is unique. Good luck Mia!</p>
<p>Two questions (really, only one that you answer):</p>
<p>-If it is not pronounced like the city, how is Olympia pronounced?<br>
-If it is pronounced like the city, how are people pronouncing it?</p>
<p>Completely confused by how any name wouldn’t “fit the image of a college”…but you have the right to be called whatever you want so good luck!</p>
<p>As someone who went by a nickname all through college instead of my legal name, the other thing to consider doing is depending on what your college’s email system is like in terms of assigning names, you might want to see if they let you make proxies. For example, at Brown, email is always First<em><a href=“mailto:Last@brown.edu”>Last@brown.edu</a>. Since I was always using my nickname, people would try to email Nickname</em><a href=“mailto:Last@brown.edu”>Last@brown.edu</a> and since no one on campus actually had that exact name, the emails would bounce back. Brown let me create (well, any student could create up to 3 proxies) Nickname<em><a href=“mailto:Last@brown.edu”>Last@brown.edu</a> and any email sent there simply went to by First</em><a href=“mailto:Last@brown.edu”>Last@brown.edu</a> inbox.</p>
<p>That’s a very good point, i<em>wanna</em>be_Brown. My daughter still has her legal name as her email name at her college… but on papers, in conversation, everywhere outside of that ‘legal realm’ she just goes by the name she has always used her entire lifetime. I work with someone who has a very different legal name from what he has been known as his entire life, and he was able to work something out with my school, too, so that he could use the name we know him by rather than the legal name. That was very nice of Brown to work on a creative solution with you regarding your campus email! Good point for Mia to consider checking into.</p>
<p>I never even thought about that! Our campus email is first initial and last name. I can see if I could have a proxy set up.
Also, crazycatman, it’s pronounced the Greek way (oh-LEE-m-pee-ah), but I don’t mind when it’s pronounced like the city. What does bother me is when people call me Olivia, Olympics, Limpy, etc. They’re kinda funny to hear at first, but it gets irritating pretty fast.</p>
<p>Please be very careful about using a different name during rush. A lovely young woman I know had always gone by her middle name and continued to do so during rush. She ended up receiving no bids because of the confusion between her legal name and the name she used at rush events. (The following semester she went through rush again using her legal name and received multiple bids.) So please be cautious about using a different name during rush!</p>
<p>That’s very unfortunate! I’ll be sure to list my legal name and in parenthesis put my nickname. Thanks for that warning!</p>