When you’re single, it feels like everywhere you turn there is another happy couple holding hands and wearing matching sweaters strolling through the Quad. With the cold weather approaching, you may feel the need to cuddle up with something other than your blanket and hot chocolate. But the good news is you don’t have to feel bad when it comes to ending the year solo. Sometimes being single can be pretty darn fun. Here’s why:
1. You can embrace your independence.
It’s a new school year! You want to go to as many parties and Toad’s nights as you possibly can before you get sick of it. It’s even better knowing that you’re the only one making this decision and can have as much fun as you want. If you meet a cute guy at that party, you should walk right up to him and flirt it up, simply because you can. There’s never somebody attached to your hip all night when you just want to dance with your girls on stage until your heels fall apart. It’s OK because you bought your shoes with your own money like the independent woman you are.
2. You can really enjoy TV nights.
‘Tis the season of all new television show premiers that force you to run back to your dorm and glue your eyes to the screen for hours on end. This is a time for you to let go of all your struggles of the school day and absorb your mind in that new relationship you expected to form or the hottie taking his shirt off on screen. Oh, and football and hockey season are in full swing. Let’s be honest, you’d rather watch the entire hour of the new American Horror Story than be interrupted by a visit from a significant other. Your beau would probably end up flipping to the Patriots game and eat the rest of your ice cream anyway.
3. You can devote time to friends.
Fall is really a wonderful time for bonding with friends since there are so many fun activities like apple or pumpkin picking, haunted houses, corn mazes and hayrides. Who better to spend those memories with than your girls? A night in with Netflix, sangria and nail-painting festivities is another sure-fire plan for fun. As they say, boys are temporary, but girlfriends are forever.
4. You can create the perfect Halloween costume.
As Halloween approaches, you may be feeling extreme anxiety over what you’re going to be. If you really doubt yourself, remember it can’t be much worse than being roped into one of those tasteless couple costumes out there. Honestly, Disney princes and princesses or Sandy and Danny will always be a classic hit, but some couples just take it to questionable extremes. Yes, some of them are worthy of major side-eye from everyone at the party. Besides, there are a wide variety of costumes for single girls that are just so attention-grabbing and seductive, all eyes will be on you for the night. So channel your inner Heidi Klum and don’t be afraid to have the most incredible costume out there.
5. Food.
Now, let me explain this incredible freedom. The fall season brings about arguably the most delicious treats known to earth’s history. Pumpkin spiced everything is now available in every store ever, as well as endless apple and cinnamon recipes. Did I forget to mention the never-ending supply of Halloween candy your roommates will be stocking up on? You know you’re going to be putting your name on all of the maple glazed cinnamon buns in the refrigerator. The real question is why should you be willing to share any of this? I’m sure most of you will agree that food is your relationship status anyway, and if it’s not, you wish it were.
6. You can focus on school.
Time seems to never be on a college student’s side. You just want to have all this fun in college without it taking a beating on your GPA. It’s no doubt that being in a relationship is equivalent to a part-time job, so it may be rough to balance your time between your beau and all of the course work and exams you have. When you’re single, you undeniably have more time and focus to really crack down on your studying. Sometimes receiving an A is much more heartwarming than flowers. The best part is you can become study buddies with that boy who sits next to you in Chemistry lab with zero guilt about it.
7. You can budget better.
Believe it or not, it’s already October. This means that Thanksgiving and Christmas are practically in the next two weeks, right? Although the best part of these holidays is giving gifts and your time to those you love, you’re not always happy with the results on your bank statement. If you were in a relationship, it could be even rougher for you since you know you would want to get your significant other the most special gift ever. This, however, can lead to a larger expense on your part since you will not settle for less than the best. So just think, with one less person to shop for, you will be giving yourself a holiday bonus. Go ahead and splurge on that scarf you’ve always wanted!
So it’s settled, collegiettes. There’s no reason to feel bad about not having a steady when you’ve got your friends, food, money and Netflix in full supply. If you are furiously searching for that special someone, you will get there in time. Meanwhile, enjoying your college experience to the fullest is the first step!