Dating vs. Relationships: The Pros and Cons

2.     Being in love. Ok, this is a totally soppy point. Yes, you can of course be in love with a guy and not be his girlfriend (look at Natalie Portman in No Strings Attached), but the love just feels so much more mutual when you have the title of ‘girlfriend’. Gone are the days when you obsess with your friends over what he means when he says “hi” instead of “hey”. You can live in confidence that he appreciates you because you’re a girlfriend goddess, and you can love him to the utmost extent and not be accused of being ‘too keen’.

3.     Being treated like a princess. When you’ve had a god-awful day and you’re curled up in bed watching Netflix, it’s so lovely when a guy texts you something like “chin up, I love you”. Also, it’s a total plus when you can’t be bothered to cook (aka microwave last night’s bolognaise) and he comes over and makes you something… Or, if not, then he’s at least up for ordering Dominos.

Cons

1.     Your friends pulling on a night out. It’s not that you want to get with anyone else, but it can feel slightly lonely when one minute you’re in a group of girls on Timepiece Wednesday and dancing to “Shake it Off” and the next minute every single person in your group is playing tonsil tennis with lads on a social.

2.     Fights are awful. When you fight with your boyfriend, it feels like the apocalypse is happening now (OK, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration…). Not even watching One Tree Hill on Netflix can make you feel better – it just sucks.

3.     The fear of becoming a Crazy Girlfriend. Sometimes you feel like you cross the line between ‘loving’ and ‘clingy’. We’ve all been there: the blue ticks on Whatsapp tell you that he’s read your message but he isn’t replying. From there it’s a slippery slope – should you double text him? Should you snapchat him and see if he opens it? Following this trail of thought will make you feel like a crazy girlfriend. So it’s important to remember that whilst having a boyfriend is great, you are greater. You shouldn’t feel jealous or insecure because you’re awesome and that’s why he’s with you.

Dating

Pros:

1.     You get to meet lots of different people! Whether you meet your dates through Tinder or through a mate of a mate, what’s more fun than making new friends, or new ‘more than friends’? The prospect of meeting loads of new interesting people has definitely got to be a plus of not having an anchor, sorry… boyfriend, holding you back!

2.     It’s low commitment. You’re dates aren’t going to care if you don’t text them back within five minutes! Don’t fancy going out tonight, that’s fine, it’s a lot easier to cancel on someone you don’t know than someone who knows your entire schedule, or someone who will definitely rearrange. If you’re not feeling it, it’s a lot easier to break it off than having to break someone’s heart.