School is back in session at hundreds of universities across the country, and millions of hormonally combustible young adults are about to be thrown into a pressure cooker. As is the case with any other academic year, sparks will fly and flames will ignite every day. Fluids will be exchanged and bridges will be burned. Where am I going with this? Well, right now I'm at the starting line of my victory lap as a fifth year student and all summer I've been seeing people that graduated just months ago getting married, having kids, and doing other grow- up things I simply can't fathom at this point in my life.
I've been single since high school and have nothing on my relationship résumé I can reference when I get into what I consider the serious dating world after college. But do I regret flying solo all through college? Absolutely not.
Sure, being in a relationship can be pretty neat. You have someone to confide in and take some weight off your shoulders, someone to share your struggles and successes with, someone to make you feel invincible. But do you know what else is pretty neat? Making your own rules and answering to no one. So is making dumb mistakes without worrying about how it will affect your relationship. If there was ever a time to make dumb mistakes, it's in college. You'll have much better stories about those dumb mistakes than you will about that time you took your college girlfriend to dinner.
But let me set everyone straight. If you’re in a happy, healthy and rewarding relationship, that’s awesome. I’m jealous and hope I find what you have. But if you aren’t and you’re single and ready to mingle, fret not, for the world is yours. I don’t have any experience as a single girl, so I’ll speak on what life is like as a single guy. For me, the bottom line is that being single means I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, without having to worry about what my girlfriend might think.
If I don’t want to shave for 12 days, I can. If I want to work out in the morning and marinate in sweat all day, no one can stop me. Now, I don’t think it’s unreasonable for my fictional girlfriend to be upset with me about my hygiene choices, but sometimes a man just has to be a man. A dirty, stinky, barbarian of a man. It’s those little things that make the single life awesome.
But guys, if your girl likes when you cultivate a manly musk, you ought to put a ring on that because you’ve truly found a diamond in the rough. Just make sure she's the one, because there’s one inescapable truth about being a man in a relationship with a girl. It costs money.
Ladies, I love you all, but you are expensive. I generalize I know, but honestly tell me that of all the dates that have ever happened, women have spent more money than men. You can't.
If you’re a guy with a girlfriend and are reading these words, take a moment for some quick mental math. How much do you think you spend on your girlfriend a week? A month? A year? Even a low-end date (Applebee’s two-for-20 deal, for instance) can put a $30 hole in your wallet after drinks, dessert and a tip. Think of what you could have done with that $30. The possibilities are endless.
I think that right there sums up single life: possibilities.
When you’re single, you don’t have to set aside extra time for yourself. It’s "you time" all the time. So don’t get down on yourself if you're single. Relish the freedom. Bask in your own glory. Most importantly, do what those in relationships haven’t been able to do since they got together: whatever the hell you want.