I've been called a nerd more times than I care to count. It doesn't bother me, though. In fact, I'm actually proud of it, because I know I've earned it. I can speak entirely in quotes from my favorite books and movies, and I know almost as many facts about fictional worlds as I do about the real one. If you're also a proud nerd, you'll probably find yourself laughing and shaking your head as you read on and realize that you, too, have earned the right to be called a nerd.

1. Your wardrobe choices clearly reflect your interests.

You might not have gone this far (yes, those are homemade Weasley sweaters), but most nerds have shirts with their House on it, or a T-shirt from their favorite superhero(es). If you're as bad as me, you've probably even taken special care to make sure the Marvel shirts are in a separate part of the drawer from the DC shirts. However you express it, though, people can probably tell which nerdy things you appreciate most based on your wardrobe.

2. People know you as the "_______ Friend"

Fill in the blank. "Star Trek," "Harry Potter," "Doctor Who." The list goes on and on, but whatever yours is, it's become a sort of epithet, an extension of your name. Whenever someone tries to pull a "Did you know" fun fact, the group looks at you to double check. The number of times I've had to remind my friends that Hank Pym was actually the one who created Ultron in the comics is unreal. You don't mind, though. It's kinda nice having a thing, especially one that lets you spout off all the knowledge you never thought would come in handy.

3. You get really excited when a Jeopardy question relates to a nerdy subject.

And you can't believe when the contestants get it wrong! Of course they have to be general knowledge questions, but why can't they ever ask something hard? If you could make a jeopardy with real questions about your favorite series or book or etc., it would be challenging. And you'd still get every question right.

4. You're constantly telling your friends about new things in your area of expertise.

When I was younger, I counted down the days to each Harry Potter book and movie release. I did midnight premieres and everything. If you asked me when the next book or movie came out, I didn't even have to think about it. Now, Marvel is releasing new movies every few months, and you're probably smiling to yourself and going through the checklist. TV fans are probably eagerly awaiting the fall because even though school starts again, shows do, too!

5. You never deny your nerdiness, because you know it's true.

Other people think "nerd" is an insult? Wrong. You know you're a nerd, so why not own up to it? If being excited about things makes you a nerd, then I'm proud to be one. It might be hard, if your friends don't share your interests, but that's not a problem. You're bound to find more nerd friends anywhere you go because we're really not that uncommon.