There seem to be different stages of having a crush on someone. There's that adorable elementary crush that involves ring pop engagement rings and playground weddings, the very awkward middle school crush that you still cringe over, and that slightly obsessive crush you had in high school that you thought would last forever. But now we are in college and for some reason people are calling us adults, which is hard to believe. We are at this awkward stage between teenagers and adults and everything is strange and new; including dating. So what better way to understanding these college crush struggles than with the help of Jim, Pam, Dwight and the other characters in The Office? **Insert Jim Halpert fan-girl moment here**
1. Not knowing whether or not you're in the dreaded "Friend Zone"
When you come to college, you are instantly bombarded with all new, and attractive, collegiate peers. You are now free to do whatever you want, granted you make good decisions while doing so. So how are you supposed to figure out if that cutie from down the hall likes you or is just being friendly? Just stay cool and be yourself. And remember, you can always make a move. What's there to lose?
2. Becoming a bumbling idiot whenever your crush is around
3. Checking and re-checking your Snapchat story to see if your crush watched it
We've all been there, making your friends pretend like their having the time of their life or forcing your roommate to take a picture of you doing something funny and cute so that you can put it on your story so your crush thinks you're cool. If your crush is crushing on you then they are probably looking forward to those snaps, so keep snapping and maybe even send them something personal and funny get a conversation going!
4. Begging your friends to not let your drunk self do something embarrassing in front of your crush
5. Assembling a team of wing-people to help you think up clever text messages to send to your crush
Don't pretend like you've never had your closest peeps sitting next to you all scrunched up on your twin extra-long bed staring at your phone trying to decide where exactly to put your punctuation and how many emojis is too many emojis. Don't sweat it, though. Being your own dorky self can be endearing to that crush of yours. And if they're not into your terrible Game of Thrones puns, then maybe you should rethink your crush.
6. Becoming FBI-level good at stalking
7. Downloading Tinder or any other dating app to try to convince yourself you're over your crush
Okay, dating apps at our age aren't always successful, but they can be! I knew plenty of people who have found their significant others on a dating app, so why can't you! If internet dating isn't your thing, then try hitting on someone at the library or a bar, or even a coffee shop. Get yourself out there and the rest will follow. Patience is key.
8. Having your friends send you pictures of your crush around campus
9. Talking to anyone who will listen about your crush
Crushes are new and anyone who says they have never obsessed over a crush have been missing out on some wonderfully stressful situations. But make sure you don't talk to much about someone because it may get a tad bit annoying. Why not focus some of that talking energy into, I don't know, maybe talking to your crush!
10. Your heart rate speeding up and getting the urge to vomit when your phone vibrates with a new text message
11. Giving up on all hope of finding your soul mate and deciding to dedicate the rest of your life to your future cats
Even though crushing hard in college can be stressful at times, remember that we are only just starting our lives. So if you have a significant other, then great! If not, you will still have your friends to stay up all night binge-watching Netflix with. Your time will come, so in the meantime, finish a few season of Grey's anatomy or go scuba-diving while you're at it.
So let's all just hope we find the Jim to our Pam one day
