We all know what Tinder is. That amusing app where you upload a handful of pictures and a short bio and then people within however many miles of you can swipe left to indicate they are not interested or right to indicate that they are. Interested is a vague term I use intentionally because while some people use Tinder as an ego boost and way to pass the time, others expect real life meetings out of every Tinder match (which I guess was probably the point of the app but since when has playing by the rules ever been fun)?
First you have to create a profile. The way you set this up is completely different if you are a girl or a guy. For guys it is simple. Make sure you have at least one group picture with all of your bros so that it looks like you have friends (that is important to girls). And if you are in a fraternity, you should all be wearing letters.
Then have one or max two pictures that are by yourself. I cannot stress the importance of this enough. Girls don’t want to have to take the time to figure out which one is you. In your bio make sure you mention what you are studying, what year you are, if you are in a fraternity, and you can have one line that is humorous (but not crude) if you feel that it is absolutely necessary.
Girls on the other hand have a much more difficult set of unwritten rules to follow when it comes to setting up a profile. Not only do they need at least one picture with their sorority sisters, they also need to perfect the facial close up to full body shot ratio. This elusive ratio differs for every girl and mastering it will lead to many additional matches.
As for a girl’s bio, it should mention similar things to the guys such as year in school, sorority letters, and major. It is more appropriate for girls to have a line or two that they think describes or represents them because everyone expects sappy stuff like that from girls. Another important part of setting up the profile is choosing what radius (in miles) you want potential matches pulled from. The general rule of thumb is the farther away you are willing to accept matches from the more desperate but I think it really depends on your Tinder goals.
So what are Tinder goals? They are the entire reason you are using an app to match with people you don’t know when you go to college and are probably currently living among the highest concentration of people your own age that you ever have/will until you move into a nursing home. Some people use Tinder as a serious dating type app. They get upset if you don’t actually want to meet in real life after exchanging a few awkward text style messages. I don’t know about you, but I watch enough Catfish and Law and Order to be a little wary of randomly meeting people from an app. Most people use Tinder just to pass the time. It is an ego boost to get matches all the time (because we all need more positive reinforcement that we are actually desirable and attractive). It is also funny in class to have someone to chat with when none of your friends are answering their phones or are being better students than you and actually paying attention.
Tinder has given me great gems to laugh about with my sorority sisters. There was the guy that as soon as we matched messaged me saying nothing but, “I like your tits.” There was also the guy that I stopped responding too but he just kept going on and on (guys, don’t be this guy). The conversation literally consisted of him sending messages saying:
“I’m willing to compromise”
“Maybe it should depend on who has the house all to their self on that particular day”
“I think that’s fair”
“Or does that not work for you lol?”
“I guess not lol”
I don’t know how I managed to control myself and keep away from some a classy request to hook up…
Overall, this app has managed to entertain me during more than one accounting class. I have never actually met up with anyone from there yet, but I suppose there is always the possibility. Good luck finding me!
