Before I go into my experience dating in today's hook-up culture, I will first explain my weird love life up to this point. Also all names have been changed in order to keep them anonymous. In high school, I never really dated too much. Yes, I did go on some dates like going to the movies or to school dances, but I only had a couple actual relationships. I focused more on school than socializing too much and figured that I could start really dating in college.

The last few weeks of senior year an old guy friend of mine confessed his feelings for me. *Brett sent me a text confessing how he always had romantic feelings for me since the first day we met at our church youth group. I thought it was a sign from God that this was meant to be so I said I had similar feelings and we set a time for our first date. We decided that our first date would be our mutual friend's graduation party. At the end of the night he asked me to be his girlfriend. We decided to continue dating when I went away to Carroll and he was going to stay back home and go to a community college since he wasn't so sure what he wanted to do with his life.

*Brett and I were together all throughout my freshman year which was extremely rocky. We argued constantly, he would accuse me of cheating on him if I did not respond to his texts and I always felt I was never giving him enough attention. He did not get along with any of the friends I made at school and said that they were toxic for me. Silly me stayed with him and he even proposed to me the summer before my sophomore year to which I said yes. My sophomore year we stayed together and he even came to my school for the spring semester which I was happy about so we can to know each other better. Things still didn't feel right between us and by January of my junior year we broke up.

Now, I am a 21-year-old college student who has never really dated. When *Brett and I broke up I felt liberated! I was not obligated to be tethered to my cell phone or have constant guilt trips for choosing school work over him. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks...how do I date in college? The thought terrified me as I heard stories from friends and have seen articles all over the internet about the "Netflix and Chill" hookup culture that I am now entering into.

I decided to join a dating site right away to start integrating myself into the dating world and start talking to guys. I ended up talking to a guy right away and we would message, text, and eventually Skype all the time. *Charles was a nice guy who was in his mid-20s which was very appealing to me since he was more mature. After Skyping for a while I agreed to go on a date with him. We went to a college basketball game with his coworker *Gavin who brought his friend *Howard. I had a great time drinking beer and talking about different topics such as politics, sports and our college experiences. This first date felt more of a hang out with friends than an actual date, but I made the best of it. *Charles told me so many times how he considers himself a gentleman.*Charles did bring me flowers on the first date, red roses. I was a little taken aback by the type of flower because of what they stand for, but the sentiment was very sweet.

As the day went on, I started to notice that his definition and my definition of being a gentleman were different. I always considered it as a guy who would hold the door open for a girl, compliment her and overall be a nice guy. *Charles did not hold any doors for me I held them for him. He would constantly ask if I was having a good time which was sweet at first, then the 100th time he asked I started to get very annoyed. You can only say, "yes, I am having a great time" so many times without wanting to scream.

After the game, we all decided to go to a near by bar and have a few drinks before heading home for the night. It was fun all of us just chilling around and cracking up at jokes we would make. *Charles left for the bathroom and *Gavin, who was a tad drunk, started to tell me how he and *Charles would talk about women's "areas" at work. This was the most disgusting thing I have ever heard; who says that knowing that you are on a first date with a guy?? Immediately, I was turned off since I am not the type of girl who will sleep with someone right away, especially not on the first date. *Charles did tell me how his co-workers would call him a ladies man which means that he sleeps around according to them. At first, it did not phase me that he was hinting that he would want sex right away on a date, but after *Gavin told me about their umm "conversation topics" it hit me. I ended things with *Charles two weeks after our first date.

My most recent dating experience was when I asked out a guy to hang out with me at my apartment. I thought this was a great idea to have less pressure and just get to know each other since we were already friends. We decided to watch a movie in my living room after talking for about two hours. Then the illicit questions about sex started to come up. He kissed me and proceeded to ask me if I still wanted to watch the movie with me being awkward and said yes. I am still not sure if he was hinting at sex or making out, but just to be safe I avoided it altogether. After the movie I was very tired and told him that I was ready for bed and he asked if I wanted him to leave. I was so confused by this question, I said I was tired and wanted to go to sleep that should mean you leave. After my date, my roommates who are more experienced in the dating world told me that when I asked him to watch movies, that means I want sex. I was shocked that watching a movie is code for sex. Granted, I have always heard of the phrase "Netflix and chill" and that it meant sex, however, I didn't actually think it was real, I thought it was a joke! My roommates have been so awesome teaching me how to date.

I feel dating is almost extinct in college then gets resurrected when we all graduate. I never really hear of people taking others on dates. All I hear is that people hang out in their dorms or go to parties. What happened to romance or wooing someone? Well, my dating story is to be continued as I navigate through this hookup culture of dating.