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My Campus Survival Guide: Single on Valentine’s Day?

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Stefanie Lindenbaum Student Contributor, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
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Caroline Bagby Student Contributor, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
If you find yourself single on the 14th of February, there is still hope in making your night special and
fun. Here are some ideas that can take your holiday from tears and Ben and Jerry’s, to a fun night out with the girls.

Partying out late is much better than a date
If you and a few of your closest girlfriends find yourselves flying solo for the night, throw a singles party to celebrate being single and ready to mingle. Call up all the single guys you know, tell them to bring friends and throw a party that will have your hitched friends feeling jealous. Decorate with un-Valentine-sy colors, which will create a no pressure, low-key atmosphere. Who knows? Maybe you will meet your future Valentine at this party!


Plan a movie marathon with your best friends

I am not suggesting that you put on romantic movies such as The Notebook or Titanic, but watch movies that will keep you and your friends laughing all night. This will take your mind off the holiday and make it feel like any other girls night. Some fun new comedies to check out are Life as We Know it and You Again, or you can stick to some older flicks such as Superbad, House Bunny or Stepbrothers. Being surrounded by your closest friends (and your favorite snacks) will make you realize that you do not need a boyfriend to have a good Valentine’s Day.

Split a bottle of wine over a nice dinner with friends
When I think of the “perfect” Valentine’s dinner I picture a nice restaurant with good food, candles and wine. Spending the holiday single doesn’t mean you need to skip out on the good stuff. Pick your favorite restaurant and get ready for date night. Once you are there, talk to your friends about your future plans and goals. This can show everyone that it doesn’t matter if a relationship comes in the near future because there are many other things that can make you happy until you find Mr. Right.  Spending the night with your friends can also show you that no matter what happened in the past with guys, or what will happen in the future, your friends will always be there for you. Even on a night that holds the power to make you feel horrible about yourself, you will end up having a night to remember.


Go on a blind date

If all of your best friends are taken and you find yourself alone on the holiday, take a chance and go on a blind date. Have one of your friends who you trust set you up with her boyfriends hot single friend, or that hot guy that lives across the hall from her. The excitement of a first date will make you forget about ever wanting a boyfriend for the holiday. Who knows, maybe this years first date will turn into next years one-year anniversary celebration.

There is one constant in my suggestions: best friends. Part of the reason women feel so badly about themselves when they don’t have the ideal Valentines date is because they feel like they don’t have anyone to share the holiday with. You need to look past the idea of a boyfriend being the only option for the night. Your friends are just as good, if not better, for having fun.

Caroline Bagby is a senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst majoring in Journalism and minoring in Spanish. She spent her summer interning at Kiss FM for Boston's #1 hit radio show and getting owned by the restaurant where she waited tables. She is now double interning for Her Campus and for ABC40 in Springfield, MA where she is working as a broadcast news intern. Caroline hopes to one day make a name for herself in the production industry. She enjoys spending the money she doesn't have, bubbletinis, watching movies, writing, and surrounding herself with friends and family.