These days, going to college is almost synonymous with partying and freedom. However, it hasn't always been that way, especially for women.
In the early 20th century, only the luckiest of women got to attend college and obtain a higher degree. Once you hear of some of the many rules they were required to follow, you might reevaluate just how "lucky" they were.
Dress codes, curfews, bedtimes and permission slips are just some of the many hoops earlier generations of college women had to jump through. Of course, it was more a feature of the time and does not reflect negatively on the institutions themselves.
To put things in perspective, one woman who was a college student in the 1950s remembers, "The most brazen thing we did was to knit in lecture halls. It used to be the height of insolence in a lecture if a knitting needle dropped."
Obviously, a lot has changed since the 1950s, but let's take a moment to appreciate the old rules and how far we've come since they were enforced. Please SHARE with your family and friends on Facebook!
1. Beds Are To Be Made Every Day By 12 P.M. For Inspection
Some universities had strict, almost military-like rules that involved daily bed making. House mothers enforced the order via daily inspections.
2. No Pants Allowed In The Library
Many colleges enforced strict dress codes. One such guideline included no pants (or "slacks," as they called them at the time) allowed in the library.
3. Dresses Or Skirts Are Required At All Meals
Students were required to attend specific meal times and to wear skirts and dresses only.
4. Formal Meals Require Hats And Gloves
More formal affairs meant that female students had to whip out their gloves and hats in addition to their dresses.
5. Professors Can Stipulate Dress Codes
One professor from a Florida university is recorded as banning the wearing of Bermuda shorts in his classroom.
6. No Hair Rollers In Public
Some residence hall rules would not allow women to appear in public with hair curlers, wavers, or rollers. Even a scarf covering hair curlers was not allowed.
7. Men Can Only Visit During Visiting Hours
One college is recorded as only allowing male visitors between 2 and 4 p.m. on Sundays.
8. Three Feet Should Be Kept On The Floor During Visits
In order to prevent any funny business from happening, some residences enforced a "three feet on the floor at all times" rule.
9. Both Feet Should Be Kept On The Floor During Dances
One university student from the 1930s remembers that two feet were required to stay on the floor at dances. How they managed to dance remains a mystery.
10. Lights Out By 10 P.M.
Most women's dorms had a communal bedtime that was enforced by the presence of a dorm mother doing flashlight checks.
11. Too Many Late Minutes Will Result In Punishment
Women were punished for tardiness and were given late minutes when they weren't on time. Too many minutes could result in "campusing," a university-enforced version of being grounded, except women had to stay in their dorm rooms all weekend.
12. Severe Punishments May Involve A Dating Ban
One college reprimanded 40 women who admitted to smoking in their dorm rooms and instituted a six-month dating ban.
Please SHARE these rules with your friends on Facebook, and be sure to let us know of any we may have missed!
