When it comes to your freshman year of college, most students primarily seem to put their focus on two things: grades and possible relationships. When they're not in the library, they're searching for a potential mate, whether it's in person via the dining hall, or scrolling through pictures on Tinder. Why are we all so dead set on finding "the one" when we first set foot on our new home campus?
There's an endless amount of possibilities as to why people are so strong-minded when it comes to dating their freshman year. It could be that their high school relationships were lacking and they think a college relationship will be more serious (plot twist, they're usually not), they want someone to be considered a constant through the inevitable chaos that is college, or, quite frankly, they just want to lose their virginity like all of their friends. Here's the thing: losing your virginity in college will not make you cooler. To be honest, I've met tons of people on my college campus that are either saving themselves for that special someone or don't care whether someone is a virgin or not.
So why does everyone spend hour after hour flipping through pictures on Tinder, Grindr, or other dating apps? Tinder and Grindr are most likely to result in finding someone who doesn't want your whole self, but rather your genitalia. While random, meaningless hookups are some people's cup of tea, they're certainly not mine. I'm not going to tell you what to do with your body and if hooking up with strangers is your way of coping, then you do you, homeslice.
At the end of the day, every person on this earth wants to find someone special for them that they can spend the rest of their life with. While we all joke around about being crazy cat ladies or crazy dog ladies, we all want to settle down someday. I've learned a lot in my freshman year of college, and one of the most important thing I've learned is that a good percentage of college students are still immature their freshman year and are not looking to settle down. If you've found one that is mature and ready to settle, then congratulations; however, most are not.
So, do not be discouraged when you come into college and find that most people just want a hookup rather than to settle down with you. I know it's cliche, but it's not you; it's them. This was a concept that took me a few short months to realize in college and once I did, my eyes were opened and I was content with not settling for someone that was not going to treat me exactly how I deserved to be treated. At the end of the day, we all deserve to be treated with love and respect, and that is something I'm more than okay with waiting for, even if it means I don't date my freshman year.