According to the United States Census Bureau, 43% of Americans over the age of 18 are single.

Although numerous factors contribute to this statistic, one that stands out is the ever-shrinking dating pool of eligible singles, which begins rapidly declining right after college graduation.

The most obvious reason for this decline is the fact that the number of people your own age that you are exposed to in college dwindles significantly when you graduate. During college you have so many opportunities to meet people of the opposite sex with shared interests, such as classes, home football games, sorority/fraternity socials, bars, or even at Publix. The Publix, in Tallahassee on the corner of Tennessee and Ocala, was once cited as one of the top ten places to meet men and women by Playboy.

College students generally have so much more free time on their hands than graduated singles. According to a July 2012 survey by MSN.com, 52 percent of singles say they are too busy to meet other singles. Most people graduating college are new to the work force and are starting from the bottom, often working long hours. Although many students work in addition to taking classes, most do not have a typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job.

College graduates are exposed to fewer people in their age bracket, which makes it significantly more difficult to meet someone. Depending on where you work and what you do, it is very likely that after graduating college you will be working with people who range from your age to decades older. It’s also likely that you will not have the opportunity to get to know most of your coworkers on a personal level.

There are four main ways of meeting your significant other after college. They are working together, an introduction through mutual friends or family, online dating sites, and chance encounters. Below I will weigh the pros and cons of each:

Dating a Co-worker: Dating someone you work with could be a good or bad idea, depending on the circumstances. Dating a co-worker can be convenient because you can take lunch breaks together and bond over the annoying things some people you work with do, but it could also cause problems. The potential for severe awkwardness if thing don't work out is almost not worth the risk, considering you will have to still see them every day.

Being Set Up: Being set up on a date by one of your close friends or a family member is ideal. This is because they have already been given the stamp of approval by someone you trust. At the very least, you know they aren't a serial killer like Dexter.

Online Dating: I am personally not entirely on board with the idea of online dating. Meeting someone the old-fashioned way seemed to work just fine for many years, so I am skeptical of relying on the Internet to meet someone. The reason for this is that I am also not convinced by the 'success rates' and claims of online dating sites. If you watch any commercial you hear that all of them can provide better relationships. I think of online dating as a sea of creepers that you would have to weed through to meet someone worthy of your time. I see online dating as more of a method for singles that are 30 or older, rather than a viable option for someone just out of college.

Getting Lucky: Not in the way you think, creeps. Chance encounters are, and always have been, a great way to meet someone. They can be had at the gym, the grocery store, a bar, the mall, or anywhere you happen to be when you are not working.

Now that you all have been reminded of the upcoming dating pool decline that follows graduation, I suggest the next time you see a hottie in the check-out line, don't hesitate to put yourself out there! Flirt, ask for their number, dive right in. I wish you all the best of luck in your dating endeavors.