Being a Nerd ain't Easy

               As a first class and well known nerd, I feel  the responsibility to warn up and coming nerds about gerneral nerd qualities and the rigourous hours and dollars that you will need to submit in order to be considered a true nerd. Hundreds of dollars, hours of manga/comic reading and collecting, time spent perfecting your academics, and organizing your wardrobe of Marvel and DC t-shirts are all commitments of our way of life. It is time for outsiders to see how much upkeep being a nerd actually requires.

Expenses Are Large For A True Nerd:
I am what is know as a J-nerd and an academic. I read manga, watch anime, listen to J-rock, fully support the visual kei style, attend cons, etc. This can all become extremely expensive. In general, a manga usually costs an average of $10.50 USD. Magazines such as Yen Press, Otaku USA, and -Cure-, can cost upwards of $20. When you add up just what I own now, with the average, I have spent over $450 dollars on manga alone. J-rock is rare in America. In order to get these songs, I must either special order albums from Japan or buy individual songs or albums from Itunes. Either way, I am spending about $12 an album. That's nearly $200 dollars that I have spent in the past year, for J-rock alone. And of course, the real wallet drainer of any true nerd, is conventions. For an average three day convention, a badge is $50 dollars. A hotel for three nights can be over $300. And food is always over ten dollars a meal. Always. These are just necessities. Cosplays are usually over $100 and the convention's dealers room and art gala are musts and most spend over $100 dollars at each. So, just this paragraph is, indeed, over a grand 0.0

Sacrificing Your Time For Fangirl/boy Time:
A true nerd is a  capital  "F" fan. What most people don't know about being a superfan is that it takes time. A lot. of. time. Examples of time taken:
1. Supporting your fixation
2. Talking about your fixation
3. Drawing your fixation....perfectly
4. Reading about your fixation
5. Fighting with opposing fans in denial of the awsomtude of your fixation
6. Creating general awareness to all regarding your fixation
7. Acquiring other fixations through research of your fixation
8. Fixating on your fixation
9. Shopping online for things related to your fixation


As you can see, being a true nerd (which includes fandom) is a daunting and mentally trying test. Many can not handle such responsibilities and give up on what they love early on. But those of us who can prevail will forever live up to the prestigious title of "Nerd".