Uni can be one of the best times of your life to be single, but with Valentine’s day creeping steadily closer, even the most committed singletons can find themselves longing for a date for the night. While few great romances develop in a matter of days, it’s certainly possible to reel in a willing guy to help you escape a Bridget Jones-style, wine-fuelled cry-sesh in front of The Notebook.
Step 1: Find one
It goes without saying that this is easier said than done. While ‘go ugly early’ might be taking things a bit far, widening your net is probably useful if you’re not prepared to play the long game. Is the rower you’ve been lusting after not returning your admiring glances? A trawl of the climbing, fencing or break dancing societies might yield a similar physique with a smaller ego…
Step 2: Stalk him
Look at your social diary – and clear it. This is where Facebook realises its full potential. Is your boy of choice attending the birthday party of the girl you barely know from your tutorials? Well, now so are you, with a couple of (preferably taken) mates in tow. Is he a Timepiece Wednesdays regular? Forget about your Thursday 9AM.
While it’s tempting to crack out that cleavage manufacturing, backless wonder-dress that is renowned amongst your housemates for its pulling power, this is not likely to put him in mind of dinner at Abode. If Golden Horn on the way back to yours doesn’t quite have the same appeal, go one up on your usual night out attire. Try dressing down a formal dress with a belt and some wedges, or if you trust yourself not to slop your drink down everywhere during some drunken gesturing, try keeping the tags on something out of your normal price range.
Step 4: Lie
This isn’t as bad as it sounds – you’re not creating an alternative personality, just filling in a few gaps in compatibility. Isn’t it such a coincidence that you’ve always wanted to try climbing/fencing/break dancing? And yes, you totally agree that Chalobah (who?) should never have been suspended for that many games. Oh god, no, carbs are definitely the devil, they would completely derail your gym routine too. As long as you don’t get too creative – he will realise you don’t play lacrosse when no one at the next social knows who you are – this is relatively risk free, and will have him thinking you’ve been sent by Cupid.
Step 5: Pop the question
If all else fails and he truly doesn’t appreciate your charms, everything you need is right here at Her Campus. It’s time to start planning the usual Valentines chocolate/gossip fest with your housemates, and to spare a thought for those who have decided to miss it, only to be given a ‘Me To You’ bear and taken to Nandos…