Twins typically share a lot of things growing up — from a bedroom to clothing to birthday celebrations. But as they get older, they face challenges in establishing their individual identities separately from their twin.

For juniors Alex and Sydney Whitman, developing individual identities became easier when they got to college, as they were able to live in different apartments, find separate friend groups, cultivate personal interests and build confidence as unique people.

For the Whitman sisters, identity has demanded effort. While they agree that being a twin is a core part of their identities — and one they take pride in — building confidence as singular people was a focus for each of them coming into college.

As children, they remember being put in the same sports and being part of the same friend group throughout their schooling, which they noted was abnormal for twins at their school. Being friends with all the same people not only perpetuated drama and awkward situations when the sisters were in conflict and confided in a shared friend, but it also caused them to be treated as a unit.

“With our friends, I would say we were just bunched together, so they would just refer to us as ‘the twins,’” Sydney Whitman said.

“The twins” ended up going to college at different universities — Alex Whitman at UT and Sydney Whitman at the University of Kentucky. It was then that they began to find their “own things” that they were interested in as individuals.

That was, until Sydney Whitman decided to transfer to UT this fall. The sisters were worried about how being back in the same school would impact their newfound independence.

“Everyone likes having memories that they feel like are just theirs,” Alex Whitman said. “And since we did share all of that growing up, I was kind of struggling. … It was just hard for me to have to share all the things that I really love about college again — or at least about school in general.”

Alex and Sydney Whitman decided to live separately and embrace the chance to finally have different friend groups. With Alex Whitman majoring in marketing and enjoying outdoor activities and Sydney Whitman majoring in communications and being more interested in fashion, the twins were able to easily find friends and hobbies separate from each other.

“We do very much have separate friend groups, which has honestly been really helpful for our relationship in general,” Alex Whitman said. “… Especially since getting to college, it’s been a lot easier to be individuals rather than a unit.”

Despite feeling free to live more individual lives and pursue more without each other, the twins have found that they still encounter stereotypes from others regarding their twin status. Sometimes it’s a playful “can you read each other’s minds,” but other times it’s assumptions about one twin based on what someone knows about the other.

It’s these assumptions that have caused some of the twins’ biggest hardships when attempting to set themselves apart as individual women. They’ve had to grapple with others not perceiving them as two people with distinct personalities.

“It is hard to find your own identity because people who have met her first have assumptions about me,” Alex Whitman said. “People (who) have met me first have assumptions about her good or bad.”

Alex Whitman, who said she’s strongly opinionated on many topics, said she’s struggled with people presuming that her sister’s opinions must be hers as well. For Sydney Whitman, the problem has been people immediately liking or disliking one twin based on the fact that they like or dislike the other.

Often related to assumptions, comparison has played a major role in the sisters’ lives — not only by others but also between the twins themselves. Sydney Whitman said it’s nice to have someone to relate to in every stage of life but that being intertwined has frequently bred jealousy between them.

“Since we’re so close, sometimes it would be hard for me to feel happy with my life,” Sydney Whitman said. “I would compare it so much to hers, and I would also compare myself to her. … So it was just finding my own identity, honestly … and not trying to be exactly my sister.”

Both twins have had to be intentional about expressing their identities and combating the idea that they are “one and the same,” especially with being together at UT this year. But through the independence that college life has granted them, Alex and Sydney Whitman have gained a new appreciation for their lifelong connection.

“It really is a bond that no one else understands unless they are a twin,” Alex Whitman said. “I don’t think there’s anyone that’s closer in my life than my sister. And it’s just really rewarding to see her accomplish everything.”

The Whitmans said they now relish the time they get to spend together and appreciate being close enough to witness and cheer on each other’s individual achievements.