Why you must experience being single in your college years
By Ann Shelley// Organizations Editor
If there’s anything significant, I learned in my (almost) four years of college it is to enjoy the single life at some point in your college experience. In our first year of college, everyone is nervous about meeting new people. Freshmen tend to attach to anyone or any idea that will make them feel more inclusive. Having a relationship with the first guy you meet is entirely impractical. Trust me when I say it will never work out. You aren’t even giving yourself the time to figure out what you want and what you don’t want in a guy.
There are many important reasons why you must experience the single life in college.
One is because when you don’t focus on having a boyfriend you can meet some really great friends. My guess is these people will be there with you longer than any relationship. College friendships are some of the most unique relationships in the world. You practically become inseparable. Furthermore, being in a sorority and having a family is seriously another blessing. Your organization can be something you fall back on whenever and people are always there to pick you back up. I have met some of my best friends through this.
College is one of the most significant experiences of your life. Who you surround yourself with shapes you into the adult you end up becoming. College should be the time to focus on yourself, not another person in addition to you. Romantic relationships can get too complicated and too overwhelming very fast. When was the last time you sat down and self-reflected? What’s going on right now? What’s essential in your life right now? Never settle for just anyone. Trust me when I say the night before you might meet the guy of your dreams, but next week might meet five more. Do you always stick to one flavor of ice cream? No, you like to switch it up (But I also guess that depends on what kind of person you are).
Also, college can be some of the most stressful moments in a person’s life. It could be the last time you’ll ever be in school (unless you go to grad school) and you just want to have fun. However, it’s also a time to get serious about YOUR future. There are relationships in college that work, but those relationships aren’t codependent either. Each person has a dream and a future ahead of them. However, when you’re playing marriage with your significant other, how are you supposed to learn to live alone? Therefore, if I learned anything from the Tony Robbins conference, I went to this summer, it is to let go of anything that is holding you back. It happened in the past, and you can only focus on your future.
If you have to put a guy into that equation, it could get messy really quick. You have the rest of your life to work on finding the perfect guy for you. However, you only have four years to figure out what kind of career you want. Isn’t this why you go to college in the first place? We are all about empowering women, so let’s actually do that and not put each other down by other guys’ standards.
It’s really amazing when you are alone for the first time in a long time. You start to realize how many amazing relationships you actually have with the people that matter the most: good friends and family. Bottom line is: don’t ever settle, some guys are like diamonds — hard to find, lucky to have.