Throughout your college career, you meet a lot of new guys. You hit it off with some, and with others it just isn’t in the cards—but all of them yield some pretty interesting stories. Heart ache or “no-hard-feelings,” every interaction, every relationship has an impact on your life no matter how briefly things lasted. They teach you how you want to be treated and the different qualities you need in a future boyfriend. So, even though some of these guys have dragged me through hell and back, I don’t regret any of my past relationships because sometimes, you just have to learn things for yourself—the hard way. All the guys that I’ve met at IU fall into some pretty specific categories, so this is, in my opinion, the eight types of guys that every girl will come across in college.
The Guy Who Thinks He’s God’s Gift to Women
We’ve all had them—the oh-so-attractive smooth talkers that you just can’t help but fall for. Whether he’s a jock, the token frat boy, or just an asshole (or in my case, various combinations of all of the above) every girl has had their fair share of this type. You can never help getting involved with these guys; they’re like modern day sirens. They catch your eye with their good looks and they know exactly what to say to reel you in. Even when your friends try to warn you, you always think that you’re the exception to the rule with this one. Wrong. Be careful because these guys could either have girlfriends that they are cheating on with you, or they’re cheating on you with other girls. Run as fast as you can from these guys because they only lead to tears.
The Stage Five Clinger
I have to praise this type for their persistence. No matter how many times the apple of their eye ignores their texts, calls, Facebook posts, or Twitter mentions, they never lose hope. These guys may have completely misunderstood you, mistaking your friendly conversation for flirting. They think that a simple, “Hey. How are you?” is their cue to go into creep mode. Before the next time they see you, they’ve stalked your social media sites and probably texted you three or more times (with no response). But every girl has to endure this type of guy. Just make sure you let them down gently.
The Workaholic
This is the guy with the promising future. He’s got everything figured out and he’s working (either actual job or just the guy who takes school very seriously) to make his dreams come true. These guys seem like a nice change of pace because they’re smart, easy to talk to, and fun because they work hard and play harder. It’s extremely nice to have a guy in college who takes you out on dates, so they obviously have the appeal that every girl is looking for. Be careful though, this type can get too busy. Between school and a job, this driven guy ranks girlfriend last because in their eyes we’re just a distraction. So as hard as it is, try to keep this relationship light.
The Artsy Type
With the Jacobs School of Music and the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts bringing in thousands to IU, you’re bound to cross paths with some of these guys. Whether he plays guitar, loves drawing, singing, performing arts, or is a member of the marching hundred, every girl falls for one at some point or another. Personally, I’m a sucker for a guy who can play guitar or sing. You can’t tell me you haven’t seen Straight No Chaser sing and haven’t developed a crush on one (or more) of them. But, alas, many of these guys are just too sensitive to be around for long periods of time. They get jealous easily—even if there’s nothing going on—and tend to be a bit overbearing. In my experience, these guys are best kept as just a fling.
The Kelley Student
These guys come to Indiana with big dreams and leave with even bigger egos. They’re great to be with when you need help with your math classes or if you need to use Excel, but when ICORE rolls around you better get used to hanging out at the library or you won’t ever see them. They do look great in their suits walking around campus and it was a lot of fun to date a guy that I thought could support my shoe addiction post-grad. However, with a big ego comes a big disappointment. Keep an eye out for the break-up warning signs because they creep up on you.
The Psycho
Too many women have experienced this type. I once dated a guy who started out so sweet, but two months into the relationship; he took a turn for the worst. He would always scream at me for everything—the way I dressed, the fact that I didn’t work out enough, even just talking to other guys. He had to know where I was and what I was doing 24/7. If I didn’t respond to his texts soon enough, a screaming match broke out. He had this way of making me feel worthless and happy at the same time. When we fought, it was like a death match, but after the storm passed he could be really sweet, so I kept putting myself through hell. Everything I did was wrong in his eyes, but whenever I tried to break it off, he would threaten to kill himself. It was the hardest relationship to stay in and the hardest one to get out of. Not every girl will come across this guy, but I know way too many who have. No one deserves to be treated this way because girls in this predicament cannot be themselves and they can’t be happy. Girls, this is an abusive relationship even though there isn’t a physical altercation. If you are going through this or know a friend who is, get help.
The Sweetest Man in the World… But it just isn’t Right
Sweet guys are so rare to find in college, so that’s why we feel so bad when things don’t work out. They take you out on dates, are always there when you need them, and are a lot of fun to party with—but something’s off. All you need in a relationship is chemistry and timing for it to work out. These guys always come in at bad times, or the chemistry just isn’t strong enough to make you want to be a one-man-woman. These guys are great when you’re feeling lonely and want someone to watch a movie with. It can be tempting to keep these guys in your back pocket and just hope that one day it will work out and you’ll want the relationship, but don’t. It’s not fair to them and just makes you feel worse. If it’s not there, don’t force it.
And Last, But Not Least; Mr., Right
I’ve heard the rumors that this mythological creature exists, but have yet to stumble upon my version. When you meet this guy, everything clicks—you can’t stop smiling and all you want to do is know the next time you’re going to get to see them. But the key to this type is that he feels the same way about you. It’s like the two of you are back in high school. You can’t keep your hands off of each other and you make everyone around you either jealous or nauseous.
To find these guys, you have to step outside your comfort zone. If you ever listen to older couples’ stories of how they met, it always takes place in the most unusual and unexpected places. So put yourself out there and, who knows, you may just meet Mr. Right when you least expect it.
*These groups only reflect my personal experiences, they are not meant to offend anyone who may fall into these categories.