Even without a full semester of college under their belts, freshmen girls have started to understand and witness the confusing behavior that college boys ensue when it comes to dating and hooking up. Due to the heart-breaking games and rude behavior that has come to be expected when encountering the male species, Katie*, a University of Maryland freshmen, was surprised when she was confronted with a college boy anomaly – a sweet, sensitive, yet overly clingy male.
“When Sam* and I hooked up, I was only planning on a onetime thing. I never expected him to keep texting me and asking to hang out,” Katie explained. “It was very different than what I’m used to.” Because she didn’t mind keeping in contact with Sam, Katie continued responding to him, until she realized that he had talked to her friends about the situation, imploring if they knew if she would be interested in something more.
“The middle school behavior was really a turn-off. I didn’t want anything before, but this was the clincher,” she described.
What she had encountered was a full blown case of the clingy male, and required in-depth strategies to ward him off, without hurting his pride, which could result in yet another boy fluent in the ways of “douchebagery”.
Keep saying no.
Rejection is key. Eventually he will get the picture (hopefully) and will stop asking to hang out…or talk about his life goals.
Slowly cut off contact.
Nothing is more crucial than this step. Quick responses or deep conversations will only lead him on, and make him think that he has a chance.
Have your bodyguards handy.
Your friends become your protection – have them keep a lookout for any sign of your approaching worshipper. If he attempts to make contact through them, they will hopefully pass on the message that you are not, contrary to his belief, interested.
Play it cool.
There’s nothing that screams rejection more than a public rejection or an outright lack of acknowledgment of his existence. See him on the way to class? Make eye contact and that fake little half-smile, and continue on your way. See him out on the town? Brush him off with a classic “I’m too tired to dance” or “I’ll see you around,” and move on to the cutie eye-ing you from across the room.
Ignore all of the above steps.
Now although these steps can prove to be useful and adequately get rid of your clingy boy, nothing is more effective than straight up confrontation. Grow up and tell him (maybe over a cup of nice, warm Starbucks to soften the cold-hearted facts you are about to present him with), that although you enjoyed his everlasting attention, you are simply just not interested, and it’s time for him to move on.