Once I graduated high school, I went through a short period of time where I was unnecessarily upset about being single for 18 years. Were my emotional woes irrational? Definitely. Did my bubble of self-pity pop after a week or two? Yes, thank the Lord. Eventually, I realized life would go on and being single would not cause the world to end. Not too long after my pity-party, I started gearing up for college. I was absolutely stoked about starting school and meeting new friends. I could not wait for classes to start, but I would later realize I wished my summer away and the tidal wave of group projects and reading assignments were washing me to shore.
One night while I was stressing out about my upcoming assignments for class, I realized how stupid I sounded, while I was whining about being "forever alone." Being a single college student does not make one look like a loser. Some people might not be comfortable enough with themselves in a new atmosphere, like a new city or university, to be in a relationship, while others simply do not have enough time to date during their college years. When the time is right, Cupid will shoot an arrow into the person of your dreams and life will be bumpy and beautiful while you live happily every after. If you don't find your soul mate before you start college or at the beginning of your collegiate career, refrain from freaking out and having a quarter-life crisis like I did.
Even if your friends are dating seriously or they have a significant other at their school, there is no need for you to feel inferior. You can make memories with your other single friends or even complete the tricycle of love by "third-wheeling" with your friend and their "boo." After all, we know how accompanying your friend on their date makes for hilarious Instagram and Twitter posts. No matter how many stories you hear about the mythical unicorn-esque people who meet their soul mates on the first day of class, do not feel lame about being a beautiful canary who is waiting to meet their true love.
If you're anything like me, you're too inexperienced in the art of flirtation in order to let someone know you're interested in them. Seriously, if guys were attracted to passionate lip syncing to "Head Over Heels" by Tears For Fears, I would be married already. It is absolutely acceptable to be uncomfortable with the person you feel attraction toward. Maybe it's not the right time for you to date or you possibly need to get more comfortable with yourself before you move on to dating. Whatever the case may be, remember that you are not alone in your awkwardness or inexperience.
Another great aspect of living the single life in college is that you get to become more aware of yourself. Trust me, I've gotten to know myself over the past two semesters and I am different from the young lady I was in high school. I've become more open-minded, more assertive, and more, well, me! I've become the strong person I've wanted to be, and without the little bit of time I have gained from being single, I would not have been able to externalize my internal self.
Even if you catch yourself rolling your eyes at couples who hold hands while walking to class or feel bummed out when your friends are on dates while you're face-swapping with your cat on Snapchat, know you are not a loser and you are not alone. The single life is not about solitude, its about having fun and learning about yourself! As Kimmy Schmidt would say, "...we're different. We're the strong ones, and you cannot break us."
