Collegiettes™ Tell All: Our Freshman Fall Love Mistakes

College offers so many new things to look forward to. Whether it’s the new classes you’re going to take, the activities you want to try, or the cool friends you’ll make, it’s an exciting time for so many reasons. Sudden freedom leaves tons of room to test out the new waters. But what happens when this newfound freedom gets you carried away? With college comes a brand new world of guys and countless opportunities for all sorts of relationships, risks and all. In fact, most collegiettes™ agree that making a mistake in the love department is extremely common during your freshman year. A brave group of HC writers and readers agreed to reveal their deepest, darkest love mistakes from the first semester of their freshman year. Some look back with regret, while others encourage you to move forward and take chances. Read on as these young women boldly share their stories and advice.
 
Don’t Hook Up With Every Guy You Meet

“I made the mistake of hooking up with way too many guys my first semester of college. Just about every weekend I would go to a party and end up going home with a guy. Sometimes I'd just kiss them, and sometimes I'd go all the way. It became routine—I was addicted to male attention. I saw it as a chance to start a relationship, when really all it was to the guys was a one-night stand. On the rare occasion I didn't find a guy, I would cry. I was blinded by false affection and couldn't separate the physical with the emotional. My advice to you is to be strong and respect yourself. No matter how cute the guy is, just say no. You may miss out on a passionate kiss and nighttime cuddle, but you will feel much better in the long run if you don't give in to this temptation, because once you do, it's hard to recover. I'm going into my third year of college and still trying to find my way out of this vicious cycle.”
 Lorraine, University of Oregon
 
Lorraine is not the only girl who has found herself in this situation, and her story should not be taken lightly. Too often girls end up going further with guys than they really want to because they are looking for a relationship in the wrong places. It’s important to listen to your gut when it comes to being intimate with someone, and equally important to check yourself if you’re hooking up with a different guy every night. If you have a bad feeling about what you’re doing, stop before it’s too late. Sometimes, that “little voice” is smarter than we give it credit for.