Whether you call it Valentine’s Day or Singles Awareness Day, another overly commercialized holiday, seemingly invented by candy companies, has come and gone.
And, if you’re like me, you didn’t spend it lavishly dining at a fancy restaurant with a hottie, but with your best girlfriends and a bottle of cheap red wine. With photos of happy couples littering your social media pages, it looks like everyone on the planet is in a relationship this time of the year. But, before you hit replay on that Smiths album or drunkenly try to hit up your ex, remember, being single in college is a blessing.
Shocking, I know, but college is not the time to be getting tied down. Instead, it is the one time in your life where you can be selfish, explore and figure out who you are before the real world smacks you down.
But, if you still wish you had someone to buy chocolates for and take cutesy feely Instagram pictures with, here is a list of six ways to survive college single.
1. Get Out of Your Dorm
As tempting as it may be to stay in your room and watch Netflix when you’re feeling down, getting out and about is one of the best cures for a lonely heart. Whether it’s out to a party or to a bar, there’s something about being around a group peers with alcohol that can take your mind off anything.
And look at it this way, going out as a single is much easier than going out as someone who’s tied down; you just get up and go, never worrying about working your schedule around someone else’s. Also, you can easily flirt with and mingle with other singles without it leading to an inevitable fight with your significant other.
Going out is also a good way to make great new memories that you can look back on fondly for years, because, let’s face it, no good story ever begins with “I was eating Chinese food alone in my dorm.” Even if drinking isn’t your thing, you can still have fun carrying around an empty red solo cup and making fun of the countless drunk people making fools of themselves.
2. Focus on Your Studies
This may seem contradictory to the suggestion above, but not being in a relationship means that you will have more time to hit the books. And, if you’re feeling lonely, what better way to cure reclusion than by feeling super productive for keeping up with or getting ahead in your schoolwork?
Sure, college is the best four years of your life, and if you don’t hit up at least one party while you’re there, you’re definitely doing it wrong, but (hopefully) the real reason why you came to school was to get a good education.
As the inspiring Michelle Obama once said, “No boy is cute enough to keep you from getting an education.”
Whether you like boys, girls, both or neither, this is something every college student needs to keep in mind. Relationships come and go, but your education is something that lasts a lifetime, opening doors that you might not have reached on your own.
3. Have a Girl’s Night
No, this isn’t necessarily the same as going out to a party or a bar, unless that’s your thing. Girl’s night could mean staying in with a bottle of wine and Netflix or going out to your favorite restaurant and venting with your girls. Cliché, I know, but some of the closest bonds that I have built with my friends have happened over girl’s night.
I even became friends with one of my closest friends now by venting to her about a boy who ghosted me. Nothing will help you to get over that fuckboy or make you grateful single like venting to your closest friends. After all, “ovaries over brovaries” is the best way to live life.
4. Listen to an Anti-Love Playlist
Nothing dispels a miserable heartache quite like a playlist of classic break-up anthems. From pop to country to rock, there is no shortage of these songs. I’m not going to waste your time writing out a list of anti-love songs, because if I did, we’d be here all day.
But, if I can suggest one song for you to add to this impassioned playlist, it’s Meatloaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” simply for the lyrics, “So now I’m praying for the end of time/ To hurry up and arrive/ ‘Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you/ I don’t think that I can really survive… I’m praying for the end of time/ so I can end my time with you.”
5. Exercise
You should be exercising anyway, as eating right and getting physical activity are crucial to dealing with stress during college. I know a long run with music blaring helps me when I’m stressed out.
Exercise can also help you to get a better body, and what’s a better way to feel more confident in your singleness than a sexy revenge bod? Exercising also releases endorphins to your brain which naturally put you in a better mood. So, with the help of exercise, you’ll be the hottest and happiest person on campus.
6. Do Whatever You Want Whenever You Want
This is easily the best part about being single and what makes it all worthwhile.
College is not the time to be worrying about keeping anyone else happy besides you. When you’re not tied down, you can use college as a time to find yourself in all different aspects.
You can easily study abroad or take a weekend trip with your friends without having to check in with your significant other. You can explore your personal interests and join or start a club for people who appreciate the same things.
In college, you’re going to meet tons of people, and it can be difficult to maintain a relationship. So, instead of worrying about being single, worry about you and do what you want.
