You are a sophisticated confident college woman. You’ve had your fair share of romances here at school, flirting with older boys and eyeing the guys in your classes. You like to say that you’re totally into older guys because you’re just too mature for the ones your age. But, being a fairly seasoned college student means you might be feeling a little washed up. With all these new underclassmen walking around you might start to feel old and irrelevant. This, my friend, is exactly what will lead you to crushing on a younger guy. And let me tell you, it’s not the easiest road to travel. Here are the four things that will happen when you like a younger guy.
1. Explaining it to your friends.
This might be the worst part of it all. You’ll feel embarrassed admitting it to your friends, searching for excuses to justify the fact that he’s younger than you. You might be caught saying: “Yes he’s two years younger … but he’s REALLY tall.” Or “I swear he is SO mature, I thought he was older when we first met.” These are all fine and appropriate validations, but you know that no matter what mature qualities he may have, at the end of the day, you’re still a cougar.
2. Making a move.
OK, this is the tricky part. Who makes the first move? Because you’re older does that mean that you are expected to make the move? Or because you’re a girl you should wait for him. And also isn’t it 2015 and we are modern day educated women who shouldn’t reinforce the gender stigmas we’re trying to pull away from? Ugh. Either way, it’s annoying. Personally, I see nothing wrong with sending that first text or sending the request on Instagram, more power to ya.
3. Going out.
So, let’s say someone ends up making the first move. What comes next is trying to chill with each other. That could mean going to a bar, going to a party, or watching a movie. But, considering he is younger than you, you have to factor in that he may not have a fake ID, or he may know nothing about the social scene considering he’s basically a baby and that leaves a lot of the planning up to you. If you don’t mind taking the reigns, which I’m guessing you don’t if you took my advice and made the first move, then don’t sweat it. He should feel honored that you’re going out of your way to hang out.
4. Sustainability.
If you somehow manage to take this crush and make it something real, it’s hard to imagine that this thing could last. Sometimes, the years that separate you two will feel like decades, and sometimes you’ll forget the difference all together. We’re at this weird age where we still get a little weird-ed out by age gaps but in reality, when you’re older and people are getting married, age is a small factor. If you think this thing could last, and you’re willing to try to find the middle ground between your separate worlds, I say go for it, try your hardest to make it work.
So, in conclusion, I say to hell with age gaps. Younger or older it doesn’t matter what your birth certificate says. Like someone for the substance of their character, not for the year they graduated High School. But, if they happen to be under 18, for legal purposes, try your very hardest to stay as far away as you can … at least for a few years.
