If you've been single throughout your time in college, you've either thrived in every minute of it or drunkenly sobbed about your loneliness at the last frat party you went to. No matter which aspect you identify with, you have to acknowledge that there are two sides to every coin; while there are positives to being single in college, there are also negatives that can be addressed. As we explore the pros and cons of being single in college you can decide which side of the debate you'd like to be on!

Pros:

1. You Only Have Three People To Worry About.
   Me, Myself, and I! Revel in the fact that you only have to worry about doing you. Go wherever you want, whenever you want, with whomever you wantWhatever you want to do, you can and wherever you want to go, you can go because being unattached means the number one person you get to take care of and please is yourself.
2. More Time To Do School Work.
   A lot of people who attend college and get involved in the social life seem to forget that they are, indeed, in school. When you are single instead of putting your extra time into someone else, you can put that time into studying and getting the most out of that $20,000 a year education you forgot you were paying for.
3. No Checking In.
   Now unless you live with your parents, you have no one to check in to when you're single. You can go out to any parties, clubs, etc with your friends and have a great time and not have to worry about calling your significant other, or having them call you, while you are having a good time.
4. Less Drama.
   Being in a relationship can be a happy time for most people, that is if the relationship stays between those in it. Which isn't the case most times in college, because not only are you dating them it seems like you're dating their friends, siblings, and exs too. Having to deal with ex-drama is the absolute worst, especially when they insist you're a downgrade. Not only that, but your friends always seem to have something bad to say about them, and their friends about you so it's just easier to be single and not worry about all of that mess.
5. Time To Find Yourself.
   Thrill seeking and being adventurous is not just a Sagittarius thing, anybody can and should do it! When you're single in college you get that time to find yourself and get a feel of who you are on your own. Date round a figure out your type, take time to realize who will be your lasting friends, there are so many possibilities! While single you are not basing yourself off of who you are when attached to someone else, but rather who you are when you're on your fourth shot and dancing with a random person at an event, just because you can!

Cons:

1. Societal/ Family Pressure.
   How many times have you been surrounded by family members giving you the third degree about your personal life. “Do you have a ___friend? Why not? I know there are some nice people at your school!” First of all, no there's not, second of all, why does it matter if I’m single or not? It seems like people expect you to settle down in your early twenties. They say this is the start of your life and you should be beginning to get it all together. That pressure to already have a future spouse lined up by 22 is stressful to someone who already has a lot on their plate.
2. Loneliness.
   There's just something about watching couples walk around campus that makes you sick. Sick with jealousy. You just know those people support each other and go out together all the time. They will consistently have one specific person they can call on at anytime for anything. Meanwhile, you’re on your seventh episode of Orange Is The New Black trying to convince yourself that you’re okay with being alone. Which may be true, you may just be okay with being by yourself, but you just can’t stand feeling alone. The feeling of being alone is worse than actually being alone.
3. Feeling Inadequate.
   Going back to the first point, at this time in your life people are pressuring you to settle down already. And as you watch people around you getting settled you can’t help but think why you’re not at that place in your life yet. You may even start to think, “Why is nobody trying to settle down with me? Whats wrong with me?” Not being in a relationship makes you start to question yourself as if you’re not good enough to be in one. This leaves you feeling broken and upset most of the time.
4. The Stress of Dating.
   When you already have a significant other, you don’t have to worry so much about dating. Dating as in finding someone interesting and getting to know them. If you’re single and trying dating you never know who you’re going to run into. Someone who seems nice on the surface but really only wants to use you and then move on to another person. Dating can be so stressful because of not only that but you have to split your personal time, friend time and social time with someone you may not even have a future with, but you want to try.
5. Rumors/Drama.
   The absolute worst part about being single in college is that everyone thinks they know you when they really don’t. When you’re already attached no one can really say anything about your life because they know you already have someone. When you’re single, however, everyone suddenly thinks you’re dating anyone you hang out with. You can’t go to the movies, go out to eat, or do anything with your friends without someone thinking you’re dating one of them and feeling the need to spread that false information around to anyone who will listen. Its the worst mainly because it's just really annoying how everyone is so ingrained in thinking people have to be in relationships that they start to make them up for no reason.

In conclusion, there are points on both side to being single in college that could make it either a fun and entertaining experience or a lonely and heart-breaking one. Or your experience with being single could be a mixture of both, which is fine! Everybody is different and that is perfectly normal no matter where you fall on this emotionally structure. So if you’re in a relationship, have the best time of your life and enjoy every experience you get to have. And if you’re single, I know we would all love to have that one designated person to dance with at the party, but for now it is perfectly fine to dance by yourself.