This is as much as an article to myself as it is advice for all of you. Dating in college is a scary thing. Everyone is at different places in their lives, have gone through different experiences, and have dated different people. It can be difficult to try and date depending on your beliefs. Whether you aim to marry the next person you're with or you are trying to keep things very casual, it's not easy.

As someone who's just beginning college I'll be honest by saying that I found myself apart of the "freshmen mating season." It's a time where everything is new and everyone is new, so you literally go and try to be with everyone. Luckily for me and the majority of my friends no one has really gotten into any relationships just yet. I'll admit I've gotten as close as trying to start but stopping myself quickly because of what I felt as too soon. Now a lot of people my age would consider what I did as lame because I should just be enjoying my time with the people I'm with and having fun. I don't want to knock on people with that opinion, I'm just very opinionated on what I want.

On the other hand though, I find myself saying that I'll marry the next person I date which is also very dangerous as well. Marriage is a very sacred thing, something that should not be taken lightly. So why is it that people in college think so much about it? We are so concerned about being lonely that we don't allow ourselves to experience what college has to offer, friendship. Friendship is one of the most important things to consider, because the friends you make in college are the ones that may stick with you forever. When you add dating to the mix, things can change and one partner can not be in the same boat as the other. One might be more willing to marry while the other person is looking for a more casual relationship, and that is honestly what you will find in college. All different types of people with different wants and needs. And that's okay.

Everyone will find someone at some point, you just need to allow yourself to be open to different kinds of people instead of trying to find the perfect person because that person does not exist that's for sure. YOU are worth loving, so remember to love yourself before you jump into loving someone else.