One platitude in the seduction community is that you should avoid becoming known as the "weird pickup guy," and focus on social circles if you're in college. I can understand where that sentiment is coming from, and I do think focusing on social circle game is what you should do as a college student (assuming you go to a college with active student life, and not a community college where people go straight home after class).

However, I suspect that even people who do develop a reputation as a "pickup guy" don't have it so bad. Even if word gets out that you cold approach girls, it's not like every girl on campus will be on high alert ready to pepper spray any stranger who walks up to them. I suspect that for the most part, they will be worrying far more about coursework, clubs, and every other aspect of campus life to care. I also suspect that even people with a reputation will be given the benefit of the doubt more often than not, and ones with good game can leverage it into a beneficial reputation. Newbies will probably encounter a lot of rough situations, but can use that to grow as a result. I would even argue that the negative repercussions have more to do with being an uncalibrated newbie and less with having a reputation.

Couple of examples: At this college I used to work at, there was this blind shrimpy Asian kid (with a walking stick) who approached a lot of girls to flirt with them. While word did get around, the reputation didn't really serve to impede him. I observed him do fine with quite a few girls. A couple years back, I also heard of this poorly dressed Indian kid who spammed approached at Ohio State University and became known as the "campus creeper." If I recall correctly, there was also a video of him getting a blowjob in a nearby park, so having a reputation didn't prevent him from getting results.

Out of curiosity, is there anyone here who became of those "pickup guys" on campus that many advice not to become? How was the experience? Do you feel you benefited from it? Do you feel it was more trouble than it was worth?

I think cold approaches every now and then are definitely something any guy should feel free to do in college, though it shouldn't be the primary and sole method of getting girls.