Question: By default, C# enums are stored as integers. I'd like to make it a short instead. Is there a way to do this?

Answer: 
sure, this can be done, but it has to be an integral type ( byte, short, int, etc.) except char...

```
enum myEnum : short
{
    FirstValue = 0,
};

```

[here](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/sbbt4032(VS.71).aspx) is the MSDN docs
Sometimes it makes more sense to have String values as enums you can use Attributes and achieve this check this link <http://weblogs.asp.net/stefansedich/archive/2008/03/12/enum-with-string-values-in-c.aspx>