It’s your first semester at college, and the entire world is in front of you. You have so many new decisions to make — who your friends will be, whether to stick with your major after bombing a test, or how to pay for groceries next week. You’re not super concerned about how you look while walking across campus to class or who you’ll meet when you’re out with your friends, right? Well, for some college students, a new romantic relationship has a way of appearing out of nowhere.
I’ve had the opportunity to interview a few students to hear about their worst and best experiences on a college date. Whether you’re looking for reassurance that your worst date wasn’t that bad or looking for the perfect romance, I’ve got you covered.
THE WORST
The Roommate
One night in October, a girl and her situationship decided to watch a movie in her dorm room. When they got there, her roommate was still up, sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, eating Taco Bell and calling her friends on speaker, all while refusing to leave.
The two spent the next few hours in the downstairs study room watching a movie on her computer. By the time they returned to her room at 1 a.m., the roommate was still. on. the. phone. Not the most romantic date ever.
Stuck in The Car
This date started off vague. It was just a casual “let’s grab food,” without a destination mentioned. Like most of us, she thought this would be a nice little date. Instead, he picked her up, drove her to the unnamed address (which ended up being Chick-fil-A), and grabbed food.
This date felt awkward, and they stayed at Chick-fil-A until around closing time. Afterward, he drove her home, or so she thought. They sat in the car for over four hours, talking, while she repeatedly tried to wrap up the conversation. Turns out, the longer he stalled, the longer he could avoid his fraternity duties. But hey, at least he paid for her Chick-fil-A, even if he talked about his ex the entire time.
The Hometown Situationship
There’s a playlist to go with this one…
Welcome to the situationship. This story is painfully relatable. This date starts with the rekindling text, the one that comes after weeks, even months, of radio silence. This interviewee said they met up for coffee to hang out and talk. He picked her up, drove to Vice Society in Tallahassee, and grabbed their drinks to sit outside.
Things were fine — until they weren’t. This “date” turned into a conversation about everything that had gone on between them and how he wanted to cut all ties and be completely done with this “dancing around” of a relationship. He then drove her home in complete silence. Oh, and to top it all off? This time, her coffee wasn’t paid for.
THE BEST
The Library
Now we get into the cute, much happier dates on college campuses. Every student should take advantage of this one. The study date. This girl was asked to hang out while he studied Organic Chemistry 1 in a library study room, and she happily obliged.
He brought bags of chips, energy drinks, and cookies to keep their studying at a high, but that didn’t stop them from talking about everything for hours on end. This girl said this date secured their relationship, and they started dating a few weeks afterward. Pretty cute, right?
The Accidental Meet-Cute
Randomly assigned partners in class? This is straight out of a rom-com. After being paired together to edit each other’s essays, these two students decided to meet on their campus’ main quad. They began explaining their essays, editing, and writing for hours, then deciding to grab dinner together.
From there, she asked for his number (girl power!), and he happily said yes. While nothing is official yet, she’s pretty sure she’s locked him in. Maybe we’ll get an update soon….
The Dining Hall
Now, as college students, some of us may be tight on money. So when there’s a dining hall with food and meal swipes, why not take the cheap road? While it may not be the most romantic setting, it worked for these two. She was asked to the main campus dining room for dinner and jokingly asked if their dinner plans were counted as a “real date.”
Well, he showed up in nice khakis and a button-down shirt, picked her up from her dorm, and pretended the whole night that the pizza that was offered was the most luxurious meal he had ever had. By the end, she had spent the whole night laughing. And yes, real restaurants eventually entered the mix, but it all started with a meal swipe! Not too bad for dating on a budget!
College dating is a rollercoaster filled with awkward moments, funny surprises, and unexpected turns. Whether you’ve experienced the worst or best dates (or both!), they always make for great stories later. So, next time you find yourself on a date that might be going south, remind yourself that it’ll be a great story for tomorrow! But, just in case you need a few more ideas, here are some for the next time.
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