There is nothing more difficult and challenging during the college experience than dating. It would seem like it would be the easiest thing to do, but the truth is that being able to date in college without it becoming a hassle is not that easy.
Here are some statistics to get start this with a certain level of perspective:
- Over 55% of all college students are females
- Close to 35% of college relationships are long-distance
- Around 70% of all college students will be intimate with another student
- One of the most commonly quoted reasons for breakups in college is cheating
Important advice for college dating
There are many complex aspects to relationships and being in college can make this even more difficult for several reasons. With that said, the following advice should help you navigate through the college dating scene.
Always remember your value as an individual
People who have lo0w self-esteem are going to have a harder time enjoying dating in college. It’s important for you to boost your self-esteem before you start dating. Do not forget that you are valuable and always remind yourself of your strengths and your virtues.
One of the biggest issues that people face in life is to feel insecure about who they are and what they are worth. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel like you are not someone who is valuable.
A large number of students just want hookups
This is not something that anyone should take personally and it is very common to see such a thing. Many people in college just want to have fun and they are not interested in serious relationships. Just enjoy the dates and don’t expect them to lead to anything else. If they do great, but don’t expect it to happen, just let the chips fall where they may.
With that said, don’t get carried away with the one night stands because this could become an addiction in itself.
Let your date know about your goals
Always let your dates know your college goals and what you are interested in achieving with your college experience. It is good to be honest about this because this allows people to know what to expect from you in case you start a relationship.
Every time you go on a date with someone, you should be taking the time to get to know what they want from their college experience. You also need to tell them about what you are looking to get out of this experience.
Always prioritize your education
This is a no brainer, but sometimes we can become infatuated with the person we are dating and this can make us lose focus on our studies. Don’t let this happen to you because you never know when the relationships may go south and your grades and general academic performance could be taking a serious hit.
There have been many cases when people have started to lower their academic performance because they become too invested in their relationship. Remember that you are there to get a degree and go out into the world.
Never let a relationship alienate you from other experiences
Some people get too invested in their college relationships and they start to alienate themselves from other activities. They stop attending events with friends and they give all of their attention of their partner. Don’t allow your relationship to consume all of your free time. You need to leave room for activities that are not related to dating.
Remember that another important aspect of being in college is to start networking and to build long-lasting relationships. You probably want to join a fraternity and you are going to have to invest some quality time with your fraternity brothers.
Prepare for people who gossip
It is very uncommon for gossip not to be part of the college experience and this means you can’t let it affect you. College is a perfect place for gossip and most people do it, so don’t feel especially targeted if someone gossips about you. A lot of gossiping is going on and it involves many people.
It has been proven countless times that the most successful people in the world learn to pay very little attention to what people are gossiping about. Instead, they focus on getting things done and becoming more successful day after day.
Practice safe sex
Once again, this should be all about common sense, but sometimes the heat of the moment can cloud your mind and you could end up with an STD or a pregnancy. You never want to catch some random STD, and you probably don’t want to be dealing with parenthood in college, so always protect yourself and make good judgement calls.
A good tip is to avoid too much alcohol when you are out on a date because this could lead to bad decisions. We know it can be difficult to think clearly in the heat of the moment.
Don’t be afraid to break a high school relationship up
There are many people who feel that their high school partner is the person they should spend the rest of their lives with, but the truth is that the whole high school sweetheart thing is not usually the best idea. We are not saying that it never works, but people are too young and they are too different from the people they become after college.
You really need to evaluate the situation and ask yourself if you want to be attached to someone that is not going to be around during the whole college experience. The way you see things now and the way you will see them after college is very different. Most high school relationships don’t survive long distance college experiences.
Be aware of abusive partners
This is very important because some people get into relationships because they are physically attracted to someone else, but that person may be abusive and the relationship could turn toxic. Always be on the lookout for a person that tries to manipulate you in any way and get away from this type of relationship as quickly as possible.
Toxic relationships are very common but they become more and more toxic as time goes on. This is why it is always a good idea to stop this as early as it starts happening and to go your separate ways.
Avoid a relationship with someone who is clingy
When you start a relationship with someone and you find that all they want to do is be with you and text you all day, or call you several times a day, this could become a difficult situation. When someone is clingy, they could easily start to become possessive and they can get angry when you don’t text back or check in all time.
This is not the kind of relationship that you want to be in at all because you will stop being yourself around friends and it will become a very draining experience.
Think twice before committing to a long distance relationship
Just as we mentioned in the earlier statistics, at least 35% of all college students are involved in long distance relationships. This is a difficult decision because it can make your college experience very restrictive. You don’t want this to happen, but you may also feel that your current partner is the right person or you.
Think this through and be honest with each other about what you want and how you see the future. You can always allow each other to be free to experience college without being together and if it was meant to be, you will be able to reunite when the time is right.
Dating in college is not mandatory
Last but not least, keep in mind that dating is not something that you should see as a mandatory part of the experience. Just let things flow and don’t try to force any type of relationship during your time in college.
If it happens, great, if it doesn’t, just make the most of your academic experience and build some good relationships. One of the great things about college is to build a great network that will come in handy in the future.
Some extra tips to help you handle college relationships
We hope the advice you read above is going to help you in your college experience. The following tips will provide some complimentary assistance for the best possible outcome.
- Set your standards high and date people who can bring something interesting into your life.
- Never compare your dates and always let go of past relationships before starting a new one.
- Be yourself at all times and avoid trying to impress by acting like someone you are not.
- Avoid becoming possessive of your college date.
- Don’t pay attention to the gossip and enjoy your relationship.
- Life is too short to stress out for any reason, so keep your emotions in tune.