I am a hopeless romantic, but it's not my fault—my mom and stepdad should take the blame for this one. For the last 15 years, they have made "date night" a priority in their marriage. Even if it was simply going to grab a cup of coffee to escape my brother and I, for a few hours, they made sure that at least a few times a month they went on a proper date.

Now as a college student, the thought of going on a real date is a little terrifying. What do you talk about? Where do you go? How do you make it not awkward? These are all valid fears that I consider when I am approached with this date question. At Duke, dating is basically unheard of. The hookup culture on this campus is intense, but continuing the connection with a date the next day? Don't get your hopes up.

Because of this, over the course of the last two years somehow I have managed to forget how to "date." This is especially frustrating because everywhere else in the United States considers dating to be normal. I hear stories of fairy tale dates from friends on other campuses, but I never hear these stories at Duke.

It was not until I returned home for winter break that I truly remembered the importance of dating. I watched as my parents walked in the door laughing with peppermint lattes in hand, blissfully still in love. After 15 years, they haven't stopped dating each other. How adorable is that?

This forced me into a scary conclusion: if I don't conquer my fear of dating I will never have what they have. In order to be happily in love I'm going to have to put on my big girl pants and go on that first date.

But here's the thing: dating isn't scary. In fact, I've actually heard it can be kind of fun. So, ask him/her/whoever out! Because, I can promise you that it won't be as bad as you think. And, if you're anything like me, then all you need is a little push.