Here at Her Campus HQ, we’ve seen it all, from loved-up long-terms to independent women… Which profile do you fit into on this day of love?
Single Lady
As a single girl on Valentine’s Day, it’s easy to resort to eating your feelings, curling up in the foetal position and crying yourself to sleep. On the other hand it’s a great chance to embrace your liberal womanhood and gather your best girlfriends, to revel in your freedom. This year I chose the latter and together with my closest singletons, we decided to have a dinner party celebrating some of fiction and history’s famous couples. I, for example, will be one half of Beauty and the Beast (I’ll leave you to guess which role I’m taking on), whilst the others will be going as famous couples such as Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog. Why not take inspiration from us and simply enjoy a good night with good food, good chat and some good friends?
Match Made in Exeter
London South Bank University conducted a study into university life which found that 25% of graduates find their life partners at university. Whilst this may sound like pressure for a singleton, what about those who have found someone special at Uni?
I spoke to one second year girl who met her other half in halls last year, she said “I do think about it sometimes, but it scares me – so I tend not to”. Asked what they were doing for Valentine’s Day she said, “I think he’s making me supper, he hasn’t really said specifically so it’s a bit of a surprise. I’ve made him a card – I think it’s more personal than buying something, the cards in the shops are so embarrassing.” I was also intrigued as to why they were staying in rather than taking advantage of the many restaurants in the city. Our loved up second year reasoned that “Exeter is such a small place you’re likely to bump into lots of other couples if you go to a restaurant. I think it would be nice to get the train to somewhere different like Topsham or maybe the beach?” So, let’s hope her beau reads this and takes the hint!
Long-distance Lover
University is a notoriously difficult time for couples who met prior to embarking on their studies, and so Valentine’s Day can either be a great excuse to see each other or a painful reminder of how far apart you are. I caught up with a Geography student whose girlfriend is at Liverpool University although they met in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam (yep, it’s already romantic!)
When asked what they were doing for the big day he said, “Nothing on the actual day, but this weekend she’s coming to mine in Cambridge and we’re going punting during the day, out for dinner in the evening and then having a spa day for all of Sunday.” I know girls, shame he’s taken. With all of these fantastically romantic gestures I wondered if he found it a struggle to have his better half so far away. He explained that “we’ve never really known anything other than a long-distance relationship so it doesn’t really make much difference. It would be nice to do something on the actual day but that’s not really feasible.” Well, he seems to have it pretty covered from what I can tell. Perhaps having one day a year to make a grand gesture in fact suits those long-distance lovers best.
There you have it, a small taster of how Exeter’s love birds will be celebrating V-day. I hope you feel inspired to go out and make the most of the day no matter who you spend it with or what you are doing. In the words of Ghandi, “where there is love, there is life.”