There is a certain pressure nowadays to have a significant other. A lot of young women in college are busy balancing their studies with their search for a boyfriend. In my opinion, these ladies are wasting their time! While it might suck watching your friends go on dates as well as having your news feed clogged with cute couple pictures, it doesn't mean you're missing out. There are plenty of reasons why you should embrace the single life.
1. You save money.
College is expensive as it is. When you aren't plowing through your savings in order to pay for books, materials, and other school-related necessitates, you're budgeting out how much money you can afford to spend on food this week. The fact that you are single means you can use some extra cash to treat yourself!
2. You have more "you" time.
I cannot tell you how many times I find myself lying in bed after a long day with nothing ahead of me besides a serious Netflix binge session. And it is the best feeling in the world. I do not have to rush back to my apartment from class to freshen up before heading out once more to meet up with my S.O. The only thing I am worried about is me, myself, and I.
3. You have fewer arguments.
With serious commitment come some serious arguments. You are spending a lot of time with one person so it makes sense you will butt heads. But when you are single you have the luxury of avoiding a huge source of confrontation. Now you can focus on the important things, like arguing with your roommates over whose turn it is to do the dishes.
4. You are able to focus more on school.
From personal experience, I can say that my grades suffered when I had a boyfriend. I would not start my homework until the last minute because I couldn't bear to focus on anything but him in my free time. And when I was in my own dorm room studying, he was still distracting me via text messages. My GPA went through the roof the first semester I was single. I was happy, and I think my parents were pretty happy as well.
5. You aren't attached to your phone.
We have all been there. You make plans to meet up with a friend to catch up and they bring their girlfriend or boyfriend with them by way of smartphone. While you are not exactly third-wheeling, constantly trying to pull their attention away from their phone's screen can be equally tiring.
6. No pregnancy scares.
While of course you do not need to be in a relationship to experience these, you certainly experience them a lot less when you are single.
7. You have time to reflect on your personal wants and needs.
Being single after a year-and-a-half relationship opened my eyes to the world and what I wanted from it. I was able to focus on myself and set personal goals I hoped to reach. Nothing could hinder me from doing what I wanted. I was not distracted by trying to please another person, because all my focus was on pleasing myself.
8. You have more time for your friends.
We have all been in the position of choosing to hang out with our friends or our S.O. in our spare time. But when you are single, you don't have to pick! You are free to hang out with whoever you want at a moment's notice. And avoiding the conversations about being a boyfriend- or girlfriend-obsessed friend is just an added bonus.
9. You are free to figure out what you want to do with your life.
If you want to apply for jobs that are four hours away, you can. If you want to move back home with your parents after graduation and save money, you can do that too. You don't have the constant nagging thought in the back of your head asking, "What would so-and-so say if they knew I was considering this?" The only question you need to ask yourself is, "What do I want to do?"
10. No attachments.
If you wanted to pick up and move to California next week, you could. Being single gives you a lot of freedom. You do not have to worry about what you do interfering with any unsaid schedule you may have followed when with your S.O.
I am not saying that any of these reasons listed are negatives to being in a relationship. When you are committed to a person, it is normal to want to spend a lot of your time in contact with them. And that is entirely acceptable. But when you are single, it becomes hard to be alone when a lot of your friends are in relationships. It is important to remember that being single is not the end of the world. In fact, it opens up many possibilities you may not have seen.
