There are hundreds of articles out there about why being single in college is the best. You can go out on the weekends knowing that you can talk to whoever and do whatever you want. You have so much free time on your hands to binge watch Netflix and eat all the pizza you want by yourself. You don't have the obligation of telling someone where you are and what you are doing. Lets face it: being single has a billion perks.
What many articles don't touch on are the truly amazing life experiences you will encounter while being on your own. I personally had the privilege of spending two years in college completely single and free. Yes, I did have some fun, but most importantly I gained some great stories and lessons that helped shape me into a confident and loving person.
Here are 5 lessons I got out of being single in college:
Confidence and ambition is attractive.
While you are single, take advantage of that time to yourself that you have. No, I don't mean that by binge watching Grey's Anatomy and drinking all the wine you want, but do things you have always wanted to do. Join that organization you thought you'd never have time for. Study abroad. Take on leadership opportunities. Use that free time to shape yourself into your best self!
Having a boyfriend should never define you.
You know those girls. The ones that are constantly texting their boyfriend. The ones who seem to post all over social media how much they are in love. The ones you never see because they are always with their special someone. While being single, you notice these relationships more and more, and the best thing to do is keep in mind that once you do get a boyfriend, that shouldn't be your first priority. You will still be a unique, confident and independent girl. Keep it that way!
Your girlfriends are your soulmates.
I will never forget the crazy and dysfunctional nights I spent with my girl friends while I was single in college. From laughing hysterically on our beds about the stupidest things, to holding each other crying when we were overwhelmed with sadness, those are the moments I will never forget in college. Boyfriends can be unbelievable support systems and truly wonderful, but remember your girlfriends will always be there too.
It's OK to be carefree sometimes.
While being single in college, it is perfectly OK to live it up. Play the field, get your flirt on, dance till your feet hurt and kiss strangers. Without experimenting and seeing what is out there, you will never fully figure out what you really want and deserve. Experience the good and bad boys. You may get hurt, or heartbroken, but I can promise you that ever lesson you learn will bring you towards not only happiness with someone else, but happiness within yourself.
You deserve the absolute best.
While being single, I got involved with some guys that weren't the best. They didn't share my morals, beliefs and most importantly, they didn't truly treat me like how I should be treated. This was hard, since I suffered from having extremely low self esteem and being involved with douche bags certainly didn't help that out. One of my sorority sisters gave me the absolute best advice about being single in college, and it has since forever been glued into my head. She said, "You are fine china. You are NOT plastic. You need to hold yourself to a higher standard and know that YOU, deserve the best". The biggest lesson to learn after being single in college is that you should never settle, because you are a complete catch.
