Here's how a typical night out goes for the modern, single college student: You get ready with all of your friends. Head to a party. Find a guy/girl. Dance with this person. To wrap the night up, one just might go home with the said guy/girl. And then, following this riveting experience, these two unknowing souls probably never speak again - yet they cringe when they pass each other on campus. The thought of running into the other in a coffee shop makes you shiver with embarrassment. Do you even know their name?

This is hookup culture.

I've never taken part in this and I never will. Why? It's simple: I don't believe in it. I believe in good old-fashioned dating.

Now, there is constant talk about sexual freedom and how we shouldn't slut-shame blah blah blah. I don't necessarily disagree with this...but I also think it's ignorant to believe the way you should start a relationship with someone is by immediately achieving the highest level of intimacy.

You simply cannot expect to develop a loving, spiritual, trusting relationship with someone by starting it off with a hookup. See, when you connect with someone in this way, your brain releases a surge of hormones. It's crazy - our bodies are incredible. These hormones, including oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin, can make us literally fall in love, feel satisfied, reduce stress, and develop attachments and fully focus on whomever we are involving ourselves with. So, when you "interact" with whomever you meet and feel heartbroken when you don't get a call back or invitation to dinner and a movie, that's why. If your goal is to develop a worthwhile relationship, I do not believe this is the way to do it.

I believe in dating. We need to take it back to the olden days (ha) when a kiss on the front porch after a date was awesome. Dating gives one advantage that hookup culture does not: You get to know the person. You can learn whether or not you actually like them - whether or not you should spend your time with this person. Learn their favorite color. Ask about their childhood. Where would they go if they had all the money in the world? Do they like sweet or salty foods better? What makes them happy? Sad? Scared? Excited?

Ask these questions and then ask yourself, "Is it fair to me and this person that we be together? Is this going anywhere? Is this truly meaningful?"

We need to start dating again. We need romance. And most importantly, we need to develop trust and connection with our partners. This is not achieved through hookup culture, people. Do not let others convince you that you must keep with college-aged kids by going home with the first guy or girl you see at a party. Do not be embarrassed if you prefer a date to an ice-cream shop or movie. That's just fine, and I can guarantee you will wind up with a better relationship than whomever it is that is pushing you to participate in hookup culture.

I'm not a prude, but my goal when dating is to find a partner - someone I can call my best friend and trust with my life. I think that's healthy and the way things should be. We need to start dating again.