Should You Succumb to the College Bob?
When you begin college, life all of a sudden looks a lot different. You are dropped into a new place with new people and experiencing new things. This can cause you to want to change something about yourself in order to fit into the new life you have.
Cutting your hair into a short bob or even a lob (long bob) has become a common theme for college students, and this trend has even picked up traction on social media, referencing the phenomenon as “the college bob”. Whether the inspiration stems from TikTok, real-life influence, or just needing a change, the real question is: is it worth it?
We at The Edge have fallen victim to college bob. It was a mix of college chaining us and needing to fit that change–separating our college selves from our high school selves. We also loved the online trend of cute bobs and wanted to be part of it.
Maeve Draper, a sophomore at Elon University, told us about her experience with the college bob.
“I cut it last December [of 2025], I was influenced by the college bob [trend], and my friend always reminds me that I love my hair when it's shorter. I've always had a lob. I never went full length; I was like, you know what? I'm just going to do it,” Draper said.
College seems to give students the confidence to make decisions they have maybe always wanted to make but were too scared to at high school or constrained by their parents. Now college is a clean slate.
Ava Driscoll, another Elon University sophomore, shared this sentiment.
Ava Driscoll poses with her “college bob” in the mountains of Colorado, summer 2025
“I think college gave me the freedom and the liberty to be like, well, actually, Mom, I'm just gonna do it,” Driscoll said.
Being in a new place with new people can foster confidence and allow you to experiment with your look in ways that you hadn't before. This does become easier when the change you want to make is trending. The bob seen on Gracie Abrams circa 2024 and Kendal Jenner is a blueprint for this iconic hairstyle. However, another perk of the bob is its versatility; we think that any hair type or texture can rock a bob.
There are other reasons to cut a bob besides just needing a change or exercising your freedom. Short hair is easier to manage in dorm showers where space might be limited, and the water might be questionable. Less product is needed, reducing the money spent on hair products on a college budget. Bobs are also easy to style, so if you are running late to class, odds are your hair will look great right out of bed or even wet.
Should you succumb to the college bob, well, that's up to you and your hairstylist. However, if you find yourself itching for a big change, frustrated with your current style, and inspired by your freedom… hair grows back. We say go for it!
If we inspired the chop, let us know @theedgemag on Instagram!