For many students, dating in college can be a stressful and intimidating process. However, college is a place where many students will date casually or get into relationships.
As a recent college graduate, I know first hand how to meet new people and to successfully date in college. By following theses 10 tips, you will be comfortable going on dates in no time.
With that being said, here are 10 dating tips for college students.
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10 Dating Tips For College Students
1. Be Yourself
When it comes to dating, in college, the most important thing you can do is be yourself. A lot of people will try to be somebody they are not to impress someone they like. However, this rarely works.
If you’re looking to get into a serious relationship, the best thing you can do is be yourself. This way, you will know that the person you are seeing likes you for you and not the person you’re pretending to be.
During my time in college, one of my friends pretended to be someone he was not so he could date a girl. This backfired super hard on him, since the girl had these unrealistic expectations of him.
This was the leading factor to him being in a toxic relationship and them eventually breaking up.
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2. Put Yourself Out There
In college, if you’re having trouble meeting people then you have to put yourself out there. The more you hangout around campus, attend events and join clubs, the higher your chances are of meeting any potential partners.
The main reason why many college students have trouble dating, is because they don’t step out of their comfort zone in college. The last thing you want, is to regret not doing things in college because you didn’t step out of your comfort zone.
By hanging out on campus, joining clubs, creating study groups and attending events, you will always meet new people. The more mutual friends you have around campus, the more your chances increase of dating in college.
In college, a lot of relationships start by meeting the person through another friend. That’s why it’s so important to get out of your dorm room and to network on campus.
3. Be Friendly
In college, being friendly will go a long way. At the end of the day, everyone is in college to have a good time. So if you’re friendly to others, other students will be friendly back to you.
If you’re in class and you’re into one of the other students, don’t be afraid to make the first move. A great start is just asking them a question, or engaging in casual conversation.
By starting as friends, it will give you the chance to get to know them better and to see if they’re a good match for you. If you come off as to desperate, there’s a good chance that they won’t be into you.
Whereas if you start off as friends, it can eventually develop into a relationship. It’s important to establish a friendship before asking them on dates or trying to engage in anything sexually.
Related: How to Make Friends in College – By a Recent Graduate
4. Have Patience
As cliche as this might sounds, if you’re patient, the right person will come to you. By following the previous steps of being yourself, putting yourself out there and being friendly, it’s only a matter of time before you might the perfect person.
In college, many people will get impatient which can lead to a failed relationship or you coming off as too desperate. If you take it slow, the right person will eventually come along.
For a lot of people, a major turnoff, is when someone wants to rush into a relationship. Sometimes, playing the long game is better as time will allow feelings to develop.
You may even have to go on multiple dates to meet the right person. It’s very normal for dates to just not go well, especially during college.
It’s better to take your time to meet someone you feel is a good match, then to rush into the kind of relationship that ends after a few weeks.
Part of college life is going on dates and meeting different people. Naturally, not every date will go well so don’t get discouraged after one date.
5. Be Active on Social Media
Social media plays a big role in today’s dating world, even if you’re a college student. Being active on social media, is a great way to interact with others and find potential partners.
As crazy as this may sound, many people will attribute value to someone who has a lot of followers on social media. By having a social media presence, you will have more friends and your chances of dating will increase.
If you find someone at your college attractive on social media, don’t be afraid to send them a DM. This is a great way to engage in conversation and eventually ask them out on a date.
If you meet someone in class, you can either ask them for their phone number or social media. This way, you can message them and get together outside of class.
If you’re someone who gets shy and nervous, one of the best ways to get some practice is over social media. If you’re into somebody try talking over social media.
It’s a lot easier to talk through text messages or on social media, than in person. Once you gain the confidence and you feel comfortable, then you will feel better talking to them in person.
Related: How To Be Popular in College (10 Ways) – By a Recent Grad
6. Have Confidence in Yourself
If you want to date in college, it’s important to have self confidence. It’s going to be very hard to approach someone you’re into if you don’t have any confidence.
If you’re someone who struggles with being confident, then it’s a good idea to work on your confidence. There’s no “big secret” to being confident, it just takes a bit of time and effort.
A good way to work on your confidence is to focus on your physical health, wear clothes that suits you well and work on your posture. By doing these things, you will feel like the best version of yourself which is a confidence booster.
Having confidence in yourself is one of the most important things you can do to have an active dating life. If you feel confident in your body, you won’t have trouble talking to someone you are interested in.
Related: How to Talk to Girls if You’re Shy – 8 Helpful Tips
7. Make Time
When it comes to dating in college, it can take a lot of time and effort. When most people get into a relationship for the first time, they don’t realize how time consuming dating is.
However, dating takes up a lot of time and requires time management. If you have an active dating life, you will have to talk a lot over the phone throughout the day and you will be going on dates in the evening.
Now this may sound great. However, this could take your focus off of your academic life. If you’re ready to date, be ready to make the time because that is a big part of it.
Part of the college experience is to party, have a few casual relationships and have a great time. However, if you get into a serious relationship be prepared to not party as much and have different kinds of fun.
During your freshman year of college, it’s best to experience the fun sides of college and enjoy the single life. The last thing you want is to be in a relationship throughout college and miss out on some of the best years of your life.
Once you’re ready for a relationship, be aware that it is time consuming. The more time you spend on dating, the more your chances increase of meeting a romantic partner.
8. Don’t Fear Rejection
In college, a big reason why people don’t date is because they fear rejection. Now don’t get me wrong, being rejected sucks. However, it really isn’t the end of the world.
The reason many people get rejected in college is because they rush into something. However, if you spend the time building a friendship, your chances of getting rejected goes down significantly.
If you do get rejected, it really isn’t the end of the world. It just means that it wasn’t meant to be.
The thing that separates people who are actively dating others who are not is the fear of rejection. Many times, the reason someone dates a lot is because they aren’t worried about getting rejected.
9. Use Dating Apps
If you’re having trouble dating, using dating apps is a literal cheat code. Dating apps, have made the dating game easier than ever.
Nowadays, you can connect with literally hundreds of potential partners by using dating apps. At one time, using dating apps was frowned upon. However, in today’s day and age using dating apps is really normal.
I’ve met plenty of people and have a few friends that have met their significant others on dating apps.
Just remember, if you are using a dating app, be careful as there can be weird people out there. Before meeting with someone, FaceTime them or video call them to make sure they are who they say they are.
Related: How to Meet Girls in College – By a Recent Graduate
10. Don’t Force a Relationship
A big mistake many people do in college is force a relationship. If you’re feeling desperate, don’t date someone just to date. It’s better to wait till the right person comes along.
If you’ve just started seeing someone and they have a lot of red flags, it’s better to stop instead of trying to make it work. A lot of the time, if someone shows red flags from the start, it does not get better with time.
Another thing you have to watch out for in college, is long distance relationships. There’s nothing wrong with casual hookups (if that’s your thing). However on the most part, long distance relationships never work.
In college, there will be plenty of people looking to date. Don’t rush into something because you feel like there will be no one else out there for you.
There will always be other people to date, especially in a place like college.
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Final Thoughts on How to Successfully Date in College
At first, dating in college may be hard since it’s a big change from high school. However, with a bit of practice and experience you will become better and dating in college will be a breeze.
If you’re having trouble dating in college, don’t worry it’s completely normal. Just keep working on yourself and building up your confidence and you will be dating in no time.
In this post, I shared 10 tips for dating in college.
Why do you have trouble dating in college? Please let me know in the comments below.