Dating at any time is meant to introduce you to lots of different kinds of people. College dating should have the same goal. College is a great time to date and meet others.
While college dating will give you great ideas about the person you may want to end up with for the long term, you definitely want to meet lots of people before you commit. College is the perfect time for this. With classes changing each semester and new living arrangements all the time, you meet lots of new people.
It’s important to remember that dating doesn’t need to mean sex or drinking. In fact, it shouldn’t mean either of those things. You can’t get to know someone if you’re both impaired by alcohol. Letting relationships be about sex also skews the emotional connections.
There are great ways to have fun dating in college without partying. Some of the best college dates are group dates. These allow you to get to know people in a casual atmosphere. They’re low pressure, and can be great fun.
Try setting up a speed date. Get a group from your dorm or house or class. Have them each invite a date, or simply invite a bunch of others. Let them know it’s a speed date.
One way to do it is to have a bunch of tables with a conversation idea at each table, one table for each couple. The girls sit at the tables, then the first partner sits down. They talk about their conversation starter for 10 minutes. A bell rings, and the guys rotate to the next table until you’ve met everyone.
At the end of the evening, you’ve met a bunch of new people. Have snacks or pizza after, and you can all socialize together. Find the person you found most interesting, and hang with them more.
Another way to organize the speed date is to have a bunch of different activities planned, like cooking, riding bikes, hiking, or eating fast food. For each activity, rotate partners.
To have a great group date, it usually takes nothing more than a great movie and a bunch of popcorn. Choose an old movie that will generate lots of laughs like a Cary Grant or Danny Kay film. Or you could try suspense one, like one by Orson Welles.
Choosing classic films helps get something that guys and girls will both enjoy. You don’t want to scare the guys off with a chick flick. Still, most girls don’t want to sit through a horror film, either.
Have a game night. Pull out a bunch of snacks and play something interactive like Catch Phrase, Pictionary, Twister, or Scattergories. Playing a game of tag football, ultimate Frisbee, or mini golf is another twist on game night.
If you want to ditch the group, movies are fine. But you’ll get to know someone better by baking cookies together, seeing a play, or going mountain climbing.
Remember that the goal of college dating is to get to know lots of different kinds of people. Stay safe, have fun, and enjoy your years at college.
