“I just really want a boyfriend.”
“I don’t get why he won’t date me.”
“He won’t date me, but he’s dating HER?”
The amount of times I’ve heard some variation of these panic lines coming from my college girlfriend’s mouths (or mine, guilty as charged) throughout my four years of college is too many to count. In reality, though, being single in college is actually the better route. Take it from someone who’s experienced four years of college as a single woman. Although I’ve still had my dating ups and downs, I would still say the single college life is the way to go – and definitely more fun.
21. Because you don’t have to shave your legs. I don’t think any woman can honestly admit they enjoy shaving her legs. Sure, we all like the result of silky smooth, sexy, shiny legs, but the process to getting there? Not so much. Luckily, if you have nobody to impress you don’t have to worry about smooth legs all the time.
20. Because you have nobody to impress. You can wear sweatpants and not wash your hair for two days and nobody can yell at you for it. Need I say more?
19. Because you don’t have to text all day. I hate texting. If you have to tell me something, call me. Relationships have become defined by texting from sunrise to sundown. Is it really necessary to tell your “boo” that you just had a sesame seed bagel lightly toasted with cream cheese? Not only will your next phone bill thank you, but so will your sanity (and your girlfriends).
18. Because you can have unlimited girl time. If a sushi dinner with the girls turns into a three-hour ordeal, your phone won’t be ringing off the hook with him wondering where you are.
17. Because you can watch what you want on TV. Stop pretending you actually enjoy watching football on Sundays. The only good part of football is hot wings and Tostitos. Without a boyfriend, your Sundays can be spent watching something much more important, like Real Housewives or endless Friends reruns. The hot wings and Tostitos can stay, though.
16. Because you’ll always have funny stories on a Saturday morning. Life is unpredictable when you’re single. When you go out, anything can happen. A cocktail (or four) at the bar with your best friends on Friday normally turns into funny stories over coffee on Saturday.
15. Because you only have to do your own laundry. Let’s be real, ladies. Nobody likes doing a boys laundry no matter how much you love them. Boy’s laundry is at least ten times more disgusting than ours. You can cross one load of laundry off your list.
14. Because you can wear whatever you want. When you’re single, if you want to wear a tube top and mini skirt to the bar, nobody’s there to suggest, “Isn’t that a little to risqué?” Or if you want to dress like a homeless person for class, there are no judgments.
13. Because you learn to be strong on your own. Girls in relationships often become dependent on their boyfriend. Being single, you learn how to live life on your own without relying on another person. By the time you leave college, you’ll be independent enough to live on your own if you experience doing it all on your own in college.
12. Because you see people in unfaithful relationships. You know that guy who winks at you across class, and then meets up with his sweetheart after class? Do you really want to be his girlfriend? Poor girl. Some relationships may look perfect from the outside but in reality are far from it. It’s better to be happy on your own than miserable in a relationship.
11. Because you can do whatever you want. Whether its going to the bar on a Tuesday, dancing around in an oversized t-shirt to Brittany Spears, or accidently finishing a bottle of wine and bag of Hershey kisses while watching Sex and the City. When you’re single, anything goes.
10. Because you have high standards. Just because you’re single doesn’t mean nobody’s tried to date you in your life. Being single means you haven’t settled. You’re waiting for your knight in shining armor, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
9. Because you don’t have waste money on someone else. When you’re in a relationship, it seems like there’s a holiday every week. From anniversaries to Christmas to Valentine’s Day, that’s a lot of money being spent on someone else, money that could be spent on shoes, Starbucks, and clothes [for yourself].
8. Because you can flirt anytime, anywhere. The cute guy across the bar, in the elevator, at the gym, or in line at Starbucks; nobody is off limits when you’re single.
7. Because you can tweet, Instagram, or post anything you want. Instagram a selfie, post an emotional status, or tweet something at 3:00 a.m. after one too many cocktails with no repercussions.
6. Because I look so good without you. People often get comfortable in relationships and let their appearance suffer. If you’re still on the market, you want to put your best self forward. Your hair is always highlighted, lips are always glossed, and you hit the gym at least a few times a week because you never know who you’re going to run into.
5. Because you can experiment. If you’ve dated the same person your whole life, you’ll never know anything else. The single life in college gives you the opportunity to date all different kinds of guys, and helps you realize what you do [and don’t] want.
4. Because you can get butterflies. Long-term relationships can lose the spark after a while. When you’re single, your love life is a constant mystery. Every new boy you meet can bring those butterflies rushing back to your stomach.
3. Because you don’t risk getting your heart broken. Anyone who’s had their heartbroken knows its one of the worst things you’ll ever experience in your life. Imagine wasting four years of college that you can’t get back on a relationship that ended in heartbreak. College is the one time in your life you can truly live with no regrets, make sure you live life to the fullest.
2. Because you don’t have to deal with the aftermath of a breakup. Most of the time you and your significant other share the same friend group, and if you break up, your social life is seriously affected. You can’t go out without having an awkward encounter with your ex. Stay single, and you’ll never have to worry about this post-breakup awkwardness.
1. Because the best is yet to come. Being single means that your prince charming is out there somewhere, you just haven’t met him yet. Be happy that a beautiful relationship is awaiting you in the future and have fun kissing all the frogs along the way.
Having said all that, if you are in college and happily in a relationship, that is wonderful. But, if you’re single, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. If you look at all the reasons you’re making the most fun of your college experience you won’t feel so bad.