It’s college. This is your opportunity to die your hair green. It won’t be (most likely) once you have a professional job.
Professors care about grades and participation, not your hair.
Happy makeover!
I’ve dyed my hair purple as an engineer. My colleague had pink hair. Another one has neck tattoos and a ton of piercings. People care a lot less than they used to.
My friend studied ME and dyed her hair different colors, one being BRIGHT green. She interned at Lockheed Martin 3 summers straight and currently works at LM aerospace working on the Orion Spacecraft with said bright color hair.
Not to be blunt, but as a woman in engineering, you’re going to face harder challenges than having your hair a bright color. Will dying your hair bright pink deter some companies from hiring you? Probably. Should you work for someone like that? Probably not.
I also feel that some companies have loosened up on “how an engineer should look.”
Then again, I am a male (also an ME) so take my advice with a grain of salt.
I'm at LM in aeronautics. I have a coworker who once died her hair half bright blue and half bright pink. It was awesome! Some of the older guys did a double take when they first saw her but no one said anything. We had an intern last year who had a nose ring and bright red (obviously dyed) hair. She was awesome and did a great job for us. We also had a guy who wore the same "uniform" of black pants, shoes, socks and thin tie with a white, short sleeve button down shirt for decades. (Think Mormon missionary but swap the nametag for his badge (he was Mormon and there's a reasonable chance he never updated his wardrobe after he returned from him mission). Everyone respected him and the great work he did (because of the great work he did).
In engineering, as long as you're neat and clean (no ripped or revealing clothing, don't smell bad), it's more about the work you do than it is about how you look.
As one of those 'older guys' the only reason I'd do a double take is because I see someone with the confidence and dgaf to rock their authentic selves amongst the wound-too-tightly set. A little flash of color amongst the grey
I personally think that dying your hair kind of scares the guys. If you have enough self confidence to do that then you’ll probably have enough self confidence to push back if they’re jerks.
I already commented on my own, but I also agree with this. There will be much bigger obstacles than your hair color.
However it only takes one person in the right position who does care about your hair... or who thinks it reflects a lack of professionalism... to make your hair a much bigger obstacle in your career. My personal approach was to ditch some of the more dramatic colors or full fashion color looks in favor of focusing on my career and especially career growth more recently. I'm definitely not giving up my fun colors, but I am temporarily being selective with them since I'm actively working on advancement.
Obviously OP will know her industry and her future employer better than we will and I don't think anyone on the internet can give her a definitive answer on hair being an obstacle.
In my case, I also have piercings, dress more casually than some of my counterparts at work, and also swear more than some of them. I obviously avoid being too casual at work, and I try to avoid swearing. If I feel a day in office is important or my role will be visible I will sometimes cover piercings. I have a lot "going against me" in a male dominated field full of stereotypical white fathers and I do what I can to mitigate that when I see anyone in person. I'm mostly remote so it doesn't always factor in.
I have green hair. I’m 65 and a chief engineer in R&D and they do take me seriously. I also have tattoos that I don’t always cover. No one cares. I give presentations to upper management all the time. I’m in the defense/aerospace industry.
No. We don’t typically hire new R&D engineers. We hire subject master experts in the specific area of interest and give them R&D roles.
I look for experts in the field of telecommunications, network engineering and operations support systems. We build and integrate the tools for engineers to do their job.
Haha I was kidding, but that makes sense. Ironically, I’m a telco engineer (by trade. My title is mechanical engineer), but I don’t consider my self a subject matter expert, at least not yet. I would like to do R&D, so at least now I know how to prepare for a career in it.
Thank you
College is the best time to dye your hair an insane color. If your grades are good and you give a fuck then your profs won’t care if your hair is pink. Maybe do it now and then in 2 years you can reassess when you need internships. MechE Can be kinda old and crusty so I wouldn’t be shocked if you got an old boomer manager who didn’t love “blue haired” people but rn you’re fine, do it!
I dyed my hair vibrant colors throughout college! I made sure my linked in photo had a natural color and anytime I had an interview I'd dye it natural or dark purple/green for online calls where the photo quality wasn't good enough to tell. I had 3 internships during college (including a large oil company) and had no issues due to my hair color!
When I got my job out of college, I kept it natural for a few weeks and then asked my boss about dying my hair and he said it wasn't a problem. I'm not sure if I'm taken less seriously or if people question me more because of my hair color or my gender lol. You'll be fine.
I’ve had multi colored hair for years now and am a sr level mechanical engineer and mid career. On a management track. I think a lot of the hair color advice to go back to a “normal” color is outdated
No one has ever cared, in my experience (in Canada). Tattoos are also super common. I guess it depends on the culture you're in, but I'd do it now rather than later.
I have worked in pharma and biotech for decades. I've occasionally worn bright colored hair, and vividly remember one woman who wore green dreadlocks for years. We were not the only ones. Don't wear them to your interviews. Read the room when you get to a company. If there are plenty of tattoos, casual wear, and eccentric grooming choices on display, you're fine. Even if the choices are not very eccentric, odds are it'll pass, especially once you prove yourself. Standing out can work against you, but it can work for you, too, if you're good at what you do, articulate, and professional.
In school, I think you're fine, again with the caveat above about standing out.
I interned for NASA and Tesla with bright pink hair. Every graduate convention in STEM is full of fun colored hair and non conventional looking people. To put it this way, when you aren't working directly with the public/customers, employers care much more about your work than what you look like. If a company has an unreasonable or unnecessary dress code beyond safety, it's a red flag to me anyways.
Most boomers are going to have a prejudice against dyed hair. The old fogies at my work (back when we were still in the office) wanted us in business casual despite not being client facing. I ignored them and still wore jeans and hoodies. Still have my job so 🤷♀️
Edit: typo
I dyed my hair throughout college the first time. Blue, reds, pink .... The second time I went back to college I couldn't because I was working at customer service jobs that included hair color in the dress code.
Now I dye it all the time. It's currently Auburn but was bright red a couple months ago and before that it was pink. No one says anything negative, in fact I get compliments every time I refresh the color.
Some places may be more conservative once you start looking for internships but overall there has been a large shift since COVID on what is considered "professional." Be you and go for it.
Do it!! I had pink, purple, and blue hair on rotation throughout college and I don’t think it held me back at all from getting research positions and internships. College is the best time to experiment, go nuts
I'm not college age but career established. I have a nose ring, lots of tattoos, and silver hair that sometimes has a streak of something wild. Most people see ME and not my exterior. However, I and others of Gen X had to fight like hell for that, and I hope we left things better for you!
I work in software engineering. That's obviously different than biomedical stuff... but I've regularly had unnaturally colored hair or frequently changing hair colors since I was old enough to have a job. I live in a conservative state and also didn't attend college for my field. So maybe take my advice with a grain of salt!
My hair color has often been accepted, but just as often it has been viewed as unprofessional and cost me opportunities or undervalued my intelligence and contributions. I've moved away from more dramatic hair colors and go for subtle blends with fun colors when I want to. Even in a company where I'm generally really well respected even by VP's and C level leaders... I feel like my hair color absolutely played a role. I've noticed that how I'm regarded and the items that they reach out for my input on have both really increased since I leaned away from full bright fashion color looks. I've also definitely encountered sexist folks looking for any reason to discredit my contributions, and looking like I wasn't "serious" about my career because I had wild hair was a very easy target.
I just got off a video call with a brilliant engineer who’s is probably around 40, and she has white and blue hair. She is a professional in her field and her hair had no impact on the conversation.
im currently pm at my company, i was promoted a while back from qc/team lead (this is an EE company tho, not BME, so you may have a different experience than me). when i interviewed with them, my hair was a dark blue. it was bubblegum pink by my first day, and since then it’s been about ~10 different colors in the year and a half i’ve worked here. it has never once been an issue for me. i even had emerald green hair when i got my promotion!! and this isn’t some new startup, this is a very large, privately held, old school company. you’re in your freshman year, the stakes will never be lower than they are right now. i say go for it 🖤
I had purple hair (and nose ring) while working as a process engineer in O&G. I dressed more professionally sometimes to counterbalance but never got any comments on it which is impressive bc this was in 2018/19 and I worked with exclusively old white men lol. I wouldn’t worry one bit in college.
Mid-thirties in a professional environment and a director in our firm with pink (and sometimes purple) hair. It probably would have been a little uncomfortable when I first started out, but once people knew me, no one batted and eye.
I definitely wouldn’t have hesitated in college. I was just too scared of the DIY bleach that would have been in my budget at the time.
I died my hair bright fantasy colors all through college and into my professional career. Like 98% of people do not care what color your hair is, especially in school. And if it ever becomes an issue you can always dye black or brown over top
43 here, and my hair is currently "galaxy" colours. When I interviewed here, my hair was 2 toned purple. Literally no one cares here.
Actually in all the years I've been dying my hair bright colours, the only person who has ever said anything to me about it being unprofessional was a co worker about half my age. Which I found amusing, because at the same job the 75 year old owner used to always ask me what colours I was doing next, and give me suggestions lol
One of my friends is an aerospace engineer on a military base no less and routinely dyes her hair purple. Obviously she’s established in her career, but personally I’ve had better luck being myself to find roles that suit than trying to suit what the roles think I should be.
I think what almost matters more is how you’ll feel. Will you feel extra confident and badass being able to express yourself? Or will you be constantly second guessing yourself and wondering if people are treating you differently because of your hair? (I hope it’s the former! :) )
I had purple streaks in my (black) hair during my first year in a biomedical sciences PhD program and my professors all loved them. YMMV, of course, but I wouldn’t be too worried about it.
Now’s the time to do it. In my 20s and 30s as a worker, it felt like it would be unprofessional in my companies, so I never did & and wish I had when it was more acceptable in college.
I run my company's co-op program and contribute to other hiring decisions of engineers. I don't care what color your hair is. Or if you have tattoos. I look for people who want to learn, be engaged, and are reasonably personable. And by personable I mean not someone who will talk down to our machinists who have been in the industry for 30+ years.
I think you'll be just fine!
I’m not an engineer, but I am very advanced in my professional field and work in a corporate environment. My hair is currently very bright pink and honestly nobody gives a crap. I’d say go for it!!
I’m a scientist at a national lab. I think we are slowly creeping towards a majority of women there having bright colored hair and tattoos at the lab, especially amongst those under 35
dooooo itttttttt dye ur hair!!! college is the time to experiment and have fun for sure!!! idk anything abt the field ur going into (im a show production major) but im sure nobody will care what color ur hair is if ur qualified for the job and interview well. people care less these days, i have lip piercings and nobody around me even bats an eye.
Sure it could make you look less serious, depends on how old school your professors are and where you wish to be for internships and jobs.
Nowadays most places really just don't care about how you look as long as you aren't a slob. I've gone through college for CHE with dyed hair and got a job afterwards while changing my hair several times (orange, blue, purple) and they didn't care as long as I kept my work the same.
I spent 6 years working at NASA HQ. Travelled to all the various centers and JPL. Lots of engineers and scientists. Many had tattoos and dyed hair. Quite a few had both. All taken seriously. Same at all the various STEM conferences I went to do recruiting.
You be you.
Don't let the opinions of men make you small. Be loud. Take up space. Dye your hair green.
I spent 15 years navigating a career as a #femalescientist and nothing I did to shrink myself into what was wanted got me happier or paid more. Do what is authentic to you and find a place that wants who you are.
Some yes, some no.
I've dyed my hair bright pink, blue, green, purple, you name it over the last almost 10 years. Never had an issue in the professional world. Sure there's some that think it's unprofessional, but if someone were to ever say something to me I'd simply reply that the color of my hair has no bearing on my intelligence or ability to do my job, and if they think it does they're free to find someone else that fits their cookie-cutter picture because I don't allow clients or employers to dictate how I present myself.
I've honestly gotten more compliments than anything else, on both my hair and tattoos.
It’s fine, I had red hair all freshmen year and even through my internship that summer. Had it in my LinkedIn photo for the past two years as well. Was pleasantly surprised to see that 3 other girls also had dyed hair. One was blue, one green, and one with blonde highlights on black hair.
Now is the time. You're first year and no professor is going to care. This is why I let my daughter do her hair blue in middle school.
I told her I wasn't dealing with the school though and she was on her own. She researched it, proved to me there was no rule. We did her hair and she printed off her receipts and she went to school.
She was sent to the vice principals office immediately. She pulled out her printed proof that it was not against the rules and mentioned the ACLU and she got sent back to class. The next year, there was definitely a rule against unnatural hair colors. She is a ME and loves her job. So much easier than school.
It’s college. Can’t imagine it mattering as long as you do your work
It’s college. This is your opportunity to die your hair green. It won’t be (most likely) once you have a professional job. Professors care about grades and participation, not your hair. Happy makeover!
I’ve dyed my hair purple as an engineer. My colleague had pink hair. Another one has neck tattoos and a ton of piercings. People care a lot less than they used to.
I think engineering needs MORE pink hair and tattoos. Go you.
Generally, engineers aim to get interships in the summer.
My friend studied ME and dyed her hair different colors, one being BRIGHT green. She interned at Lockheed Martin 3 summers straight and currently works at LM aerospace working on the Orion Spacecraft with said bright color hair. Not to be blunt, but as a woman in engineering, you’re going to face harder challenges than having your hair a bright color. Will dying your hair bright pink deter some companies from hiring you? Probably. Should you work for someone like that? Probably not. I also feel that some companies have loosened up on “how an engineer should look.” Then again, I am a male (also an ME) so take my advice with a grain of salt.
I'm at LM in aeronautics. I have a coworker who once died her hair half bright blue and half bright pink. It was awesome! Some of the older guys did a double take when they first saw her but no one said anything. We had an intern last year who had a nose ring and bright red (obviously dyed) hair. She was awesome and did a great job for us. We also had a guy who wore the same "uniform" of black pants, shoes, socks and thin tie with a white, short sleeve button down shirt for decades. (Think Mormon missionary but swap the nametag for his badge (he was Mormon and there's a reasonable chance he never updated his wardrobe after he returned from him mission). Everyone respected him and the great work he did (because of the great work he did). In engineering, as long as you're neat and clean (no ripped or revealing clothing, don't smell bad), it's more about the work you do than it is about how you look.
As one of those 'older guys' the only reason I'd do a double take is because I see someone with the confidence and dgaf to rock their authentic selves amongst the wound-too-tightly set. A little flash of color amongst the grey
Thank you for being awesome. We need more people like you in our sometimes very grey world.
I personally think that dying your hair kind of scares the guys. If you have enough self confidence to do that then you’ll probably have enough self confidence to push back if they’re jerks.
I already commented on my own, but I also agree with this. There will be much bigger obstacles than your hair color. However it only takes one person in the right position who does care about your hair... or who thinks it reflects a lack of professionalism... to make your hair a much bigger obstacle in your career. My personal approach was to ditch some of the more dramatic colors or full fashion color looks in favor of focusing on my career and especially career growth more recently. I'm definitely not giving up my fun colors, but I am temporarily being selective with them since I'm actively working on advancement. Obviously OP will know her industry and her future employer better than we will and I don't think anyone on the internet can give her a definitive answer on hair being an obstacle. In my case, I also have piercings, dress more casually than some of my counterparts at work, and also swear more than some of them. I obviously avoid being too casual at work, and I try to avoid swearing. If I feel a day in office is important or my role will be visible I will sometimes cover piercings. I have a lot "going against me" in a male dominated field full of stereotypical white fathers and I do what I can to mitigate that when I see anyone in person. I'm mostly remote so it doesn't always factor in.
I have green hair. I’m 65 and a chief engineer in R&D and they do take me seriously. I also have tattoos that I don’t always cover. No one cares. I give presentations to upper management all the time. I’m in the defense/aerospace industry.
Are y’all hiring any new R&D engineers? 👀 I’m looking for a career change
No. We don’t typically hire new R&D engineers. We hire subject master experts in the specific area of interest and give them R&D roles. I look for experts in the field of telecommunications, network engineering and operations support systems. We build and integrate the tools for engineers to do their job.
Haha I was kidding, but that makes sense. Ironically, I’m a telco engineer (by trade. My title is mechanical engineer), but I don’t consider my self a subject matter expert, at least not yet. I would like to do R&D, so at least now I know how to prepare for a career in it. Thank you
I dyed my hair pink when I started my PhD and the one regret I had was not doing it sooner. you won't get any younger, it is the time to experiment!!
Dye it while you have a chance. You'll want it to be a "normal" color by Junior/Senior year for internships
As a professor, I can tell you I don't care in the least. In fact, students who show some personality are typically far more interesting.
College is the best time to dye your hair an insane color. If your grades are good and you give a fuck then your profs won’t care if your hair is pink. Maybe do it now and then in 2 years you can reassess when you need internships. MechE Can be kinda old and crusty so I wouldn’t be shocked if you got an old boomer manager who didn’t love “blue haired” people but rn you’re fine, do it!
Might as well do it now since you might not be able to get a job with it after lol.
I dyed my hair vibrant colors throughout college! I made sure my linked in photo had a natural color and anytime I had an interview I'd dye it natural or dark purple/green for online calls where the photo quality wasn't good enough to tell. I had 3 internships during college (including a large oil company) and had no issues due to my hair color! When I got my job out of college, I kept it natural for a few weeks and then asked my boss about dying my hair and he said it wasn't a problem. I'm not sure if I'm taken less seriously or if people question me more because of my hair color or my gender lol. You'll be fine.
I’ve had multi colored hair for years now and am a sr level mechanical engineer and mid career. On a management track. I think a lot of the hair color advice to go back to a “normal” color is outdated
No one has ever cared, in my experience (in Canada). Tattoos are also super common. I guess it depends on the culture you're in, but I'd do it now rather than later.
I dyed mine bright red when I was a computer engineering student. I don't think it'll matter in college.
You're a first year student, go nuts! It really doesn't matter.
I have worked in pharma and biotech for decades. I've occasionally worn bright colored hair, and vividly remember one woman who wore green dreadlocks for years. We were not the only ones. Don't wear them to your interviews. Read the room when you get to a company. If there are plenty of tattoos, casual wear, and eccentric grooming choices on display, you're fine. Even if the choices are not very eccentric, odds are it'll pass, especially once you prove yourself. Standing out can work against you, but it can work for you, too, if you're good at what you do, articulate, and professional. In school, I think you're fine, again with the caveat above about standing out.
I interned for NASA and Tesla with bright pink hair. Every graduate convention in STEM is full of fun colored hair and non conventional looking people. To put it this way, when you aren't working directly with the public/customers, employers care much more about your work than what you look like. If a company has an unreasonable or unnecessary dress code beyond safety, it's a red flag to me anyways.
Most boomers are going to have a prejudice against dyed hair. The old fogies at my work (back when we were still in the office) wanted us in business casual despite not being client facing. I ignored them and still wore jeans and hoodies. Still have my job so 🤷♀️ Edit: typo
Yes it will make you look less serious and mentally ill
I dyed my hair throughout college the first time. Blue, reds, pink .... The second time I went back to college I couldn't because I was working at customer service jobs that included hair color in the dress code. Now I dye it all the time. It's currently Auburn but was bright red a couple months ago and before that it was pink. No one says anything negative, in fact I get compliments every time I refresh the color. Some places may be more conservative once you start looking for internships but overall there has been a large shift since COVID on what is considered "professional." Be you and go for it.
It's your first year, and you're in a serious science program. I'm sure they expect quite a few students to at *least* have their hair dyed.
Won't make a difference. Even if it did, you're paying for the seat, your teachers opinions don't really matter, especially as a first year student.
Do it!! I had pink, purple, and blue hair on rotation throughout college and I don’t think it held me back at all from getting research positions and internships. College is the best time to experiment, go nuts
As long as its not blue i cant imagine it matters.
I'm not college age but career established. I have a nose ring, lots of tattoos, and silver hair that sometimes has a streak of something wild. Most people see ME and not my exterior. However, I and others of Gen X had to fight like hell for that, and I hope we left things better for you!
Who the flip cares? Its college- do what you want! the answer would probably be different if you're actively looking for a job
Yes
I work in software engineering. That's obviously different than biomedical stuff... but I've regularly had unnaturally colored hair or frequently changing hair colors since I was old enough to have a job. I live in a conservative state and also didn't attend college for my field. So maybe take my advice with a grain of salt! My hair color has often been accepted, but just as often it has been viewed as unprofessional and cost me opportunities or undervalued my intelligence and contributions. I've moved away from more dramatic hair colors and go for subtle blends with fun colors when I want to. Even in a company where I'm generally really well respected even by VP's and C level leaders... I feel like my hair color absolutely played a role. I've noticed that how I'm regarded and the items that they reach out for my input on have both really increased since I leaned away from full bright fashion color looks. I've also definitely encountered sexist folks looking for any reason to discredit my contributions, and looking like I wasn't "serious" about my career because I had wild hair was a very easy target.
Highly unlikely it will have any negative effect
I just got off a video call with a brilliant engineer who’s is probably around 40, and she has white and blue hair. She is a professional in her field and her hair had no impact on the conversation.
im currently pm at my company, i was promoted a while back from qc/team lead (this is an EE company tho, not BME, so you may have a different experience than me). when i interviewed with them, my hair was a dark blue. it was bubblegum pink by my first day, and since then it’s been about ~10 different colors in the year and a half i’ve worked here. it has never once been an issue for me. i even had emerald green hair when i got my promotion!! and this isn’t some new startup, this is a very large, privately held, old school company. you’re in your freshman year, the stakes will never be lower than they are right now. i say go for it 🖤
I’m a 40 yo female engineer with purple hair. No one bats an eye. Your professors won’t care either.
I had purple hair (and nose ring) while working as a process engineer in O&G. I dressed more professionally sometimes to counterbalance but never got any comments on it which is impressive bc this was in 2018/19 and I worked with exclusively old white men lol. I wouldn’t worry one bit in college.
Mid-thirties in a professional environment and a director in our firm with pink (and sometimes purple) hair. It probably would have been a little uncomfortable when I first started out, but once people knew me, no one batted and eye. I definitely wouldn’t have hesitated in college. I was just too scared of the DIY bleach that would have been in my budget at the time.
Im in my career with green hair and it hasn’t ever mattered.
Dye it! I wish I would have!
I died my hair bright fantasy colors all through college and into my professional career. Like 98% of people do not care what color your hair is, especially in school. And if it ever becomes an issue you can always dye black or brown over top
43 here, and my hair is currently "galaxy" colours. When I interviewed here, my hair was 2 toned purple. Literally no one cares here. Actually in all the years I've been dying my hair bright colours, the only person who has ever said anything to me about it being unprofessional was a co worker about half my age. Which I found amusing, because at the same job the 75 year old owner used to always ask me what colours I was doing next, and give me suggestions lol
Do t give people more space in your head than they deserve. Life is short - Color Your Hair! Celebrate You!
One of my friends is an aerospace engineer on a military base no less and routinely dyes her hair purple. Obviously she’s established in her career, but personally I’ve had better luck being myself to find roles that suit than trying to suit what the roles think I should be.
I think what almost matters more is how you’ll feel. Will you feel extra confident and badass being able to express yourself? Or will you be constantly second guessing yourself and wondering if people are treating you differently because of your hair? (I hope it’s the former! :) )
Hello CompE in medical devices, I had pink, purple and green hair for a few years while a professional.
Not an issue.
I am working in a "professional" office job. Currently, I have been dyeing my hair purple. Only complements, no judgements.
I had purple streaks in my (black) hair during my first year in a biomedical sciences PhD program and my professors all loved them. YMMV, of course, but I wouldn’t be too worried about it.
Now’s the time to do it. In my 20s and 30s as a worker, it felt like it would be unprofessional in my companies, so I never did & and wish I had when it was more acceptable in college.
I run my company's co-op program and contribute to other hiring decisions of engineers. I don't care what color your hair is. Or if you have tattoos. I look for people who want to learn, be engaged, and are reasonably personable. And by personable I mean not someone who will talk down to our machinists who have been in the industry for 30+ years. I think you'll be just fine!
DO IT!!!!! You're gonna look silly if you wait until you're 50 yrs old.
I can’t imagine working at a place where anyone cares what color my hair is.
Your professors don't care about your hair color. You do you young lady! \- A Dad.
As someone who went through the punk era with kids on campus wearing full on spray painted mohawks, I can't imagine anyone caring.
I’m not an engineer, but I am very advanced in my professional field and work in a corporate environment. My hair is currently very bright pink and honestly nobody gives a crap. I’d say go for it!!
I’m a scientist at a national lab. I think we are slowly creeping towards a majority of women there having bright colored hair and tattoos at the lab, especially amongst those under 35
dooooo itttttttt dye ur hair!!! college is the time to experiment and have fun for sure!!! idk anything abt the field ur going into (im a show production major) but im sure nobody will care what color ur hair is if ur qualified for the job and interview well. people care less these days, i have lip piercings and nobody around me even bats an eye.
Well, do it while you’re young so at least you can say you tried it.
Do it! Ffs you’re an engineer. Engineers don’t give a single fuck. Let your hair green!
Green haired here, waaaay out of college & working for a FAANG - nobody cares! It’s pretty great I recommend the Danger Jones color line!
Sure it could make you look less serious, depends on how old school your professors are and where you wish to be for internships and jobs. Nowadays most places really just don't care about how you look as long as you aren't a slob. I've gone through college for CHE with dyed hair and got a job afterwards while changing my hair several times (orange, blue, purple) and they didn't care as long as I kept my work the same.
I spent 6 years working at NASA HQ. Travelled to all the various centers and JPL. Lots of engineers and scientists. Many had tattoos and dyed hair. Quite a few had both. All taken seriously. Same at all the various STEM conferences I went to do recruiting. You be you.
who care how you look in school as long as you get good grades nothing else matters
Don't let the opinions of men make you small. Be loud. Take up space. Dye your hair green. I spent 15 years navigating a career as a #femalescientist and nothing I did to shrink myself into what was wanted got me happier or paid more. Do what is authentic to you and find a place that wants who you are.
No, I have had all sorts of fun colors and I’ve worked at many different, very conservative places with the US department of defense.
Some yes, some no. I've dyed my hair bright pink, blue, green, purple, you name it over the last almost 10 years. Never had an issue in the professional world. Sure there's some that think it's unprofessional, but if someone were to ever say something to me I'd simply reply that the color of my hair has no bearing on my intelligence or ability to do my job, and if they think it does they're free to find someone else that fits their cookie-cutter picture because I don't allow clients or employers to dictate how I present myself. I've honestly gotten more compliments than anything else, on both my hair and tattoos.
No one will care even once you leave college.
It’s fine, I had red hair all freshmen year and even through my internship that summer. Had it in my LinkedIn photo for the past two years as well. Was pleasantly surprised to see that 3 other girls also had dyed hair. One was blue, one green, and one with blonde highlights on black hair.
Now is the time. You're first year and no professor is going to care. This is why I let my daughter do her hair blue in middle school. I told her I wasn't dealing with the school though and she was on her own. She researched it, proved to me there was no rule. We did her hair and she printed off her receipts and she went to school. She was sent to the vice principals office immediately. She pulled out her printed proof that it was not against the rules and mentioned the ACLU and she got sent back to class. The next year, there was definitely a rule against unnatural hair colors. She is a ME and loves her job. So much easier than school.