There are two times in every college girl’s year where we realize how single we really are. The first time that comes to mind is having to inform Grandma over December holiday dinner that there is “no one special” in our lives. The second time is definitely during the red and pink Hallmark promotion that is Valentine’s Day. Coined by many as “Single’s Awareness Day,” Valentine’s Day is a time when we realize the water we’ve been treading in and the truth that we are in fact single. While seeing smug girls picking up flowers from the mailroom every February 14th (you know who you are) and being overwhelmed with Instagrams of cute couples we can’t help but ask ourselves, oh god, why am I single? Maybe the key is to realize that it is not completely our own fault. If you are part of the 99.2 percent of girls who had hope when Orientation Assistants told you during Orientation that you would for sure be meeting your husband before graduation, this one is for you.
Perhaps we should start with where we are looking for some of these potential dates/boyfriends/cuddle buddies. If you are a sophomore, junior, or senior girl who rarely engages with the opposite sex on a day-to-day basis, this could be tricky. Perhaps start by eliminating locations that require heavy inebriation to be semi-enjoyable. Now I don’t actually know how this happens, but go on the “Bucknell in Love” Facebook to read stories about how other people met – it happens for some people out there. (Fair warning, this could also cause more anxiety as almost everyone met their spouse the first day of Orientation – class of 2019 get on it).
Maybe the other issue is that we create too high expectations. Considering we eat at the Bison for every meal, it’s evident that we are used to low standards, so this shouldn’t be an issue (sorry Bucknell, but I’m still not over the small fortune for strawberries that rival movie theater popcorn prices). We need to take a page from Lizzie McGuire, get over Ethan Craft, and open our eyes to the Gordos of the world. This is tough and requires us to stop waiting for that one guy we’ve always liked but never did anything about, and move on. This also relates to the concept of realistic expectations – no guy is going to execute the perfect picnic or love letter no matter how much we wish they could.
Limitation is another factor that we can blame because unfortunately, it’s out of our control. As girls during freshman year, everything seemed so shiny and new with four classes of guys to choose from. The older we get, the more limited our pick. In retrospect, with a world of billions of people out there, it’s a bit ridiculous to think that our whole life is over if we can’t find someone within the confined proximity that is Lewisburg, Pennsylvania (though let’s face it, most of us set Tinder settings to within one mile).
So weather you have been single since birth or just got broken up with – sorry girl, but he’s probably cheap anyway- take the opportunity to get out there (figuratively because Pennsylvania winter) and “do you.” Set a Galentine’s date with you and the real loves of your life, and go wild. Just do yourself and the rest of us a favor and save the depressing thoughts for tweens on Twitter this year. Happy Valentine’s Day!