While not every free and single college student feels bitter about their relationship-less status, going through a day that is filled with unwanted reminders of your singleness gets pretty depressing. But before you go on sobbing over Grey’s Anatomy (or your loneliness), mouth smeared with ice cream and all, consider these happier options of celebrating Valentine’s Day that don’t require you to have a significant other:
1. Host a potluck with your (single) friends.
Honestly, all the nice and decent restaurants will be overcrowded with couples spoon-feeding each other, or sucking on a shared strand of spaghetti. But if you’re okay with such gag-inducing atmospheres, then by all means, go. Otherwise, host a potluck with single friends by preparing some tasty anti-Valentines Day dishes to wine and dine over in celebration of your freedom.
2. Watch a movie at home.
If you’re cynical towards the notion that relationships equal happiness, Blue Valentine is a satisfying movie to watch. If you’re still bitter over an ex and wouldn’t mind seeing your taste for revenge being embodied by Uma Thurman slicing up her past transgressors of love, watch Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2. And if you’re still hopeful in finding love and have already seen The Notebook, watch it again because it’s The Notebook. And no one gets sick of The Notebook. Ever.
3. Study.
Now would be a good time to catch up on your massive amount of reading. True, this is sort of a miserable activity on any occasion, but it’s nonetheless productive. And as a Berkeley student, it’s probably better that you’re single and free… free to study more and as long as you please, right?
4. Do some hot yoga (Yoga to the People on Bancroft is a good place).
Or any other physical activity that will help take off the stresses of school or from accidentally walking in on your roommate and her guy getting busy (eek). Now you’ll be a little fitter and won’t have to feel as guilty for partaking in tomorrow’s chocolate eating festivities (unless you are on a diet) that is…
5. The great after Valentine’s Day sale on chocolate.
Do any of the above while looking forward to this coming and glorious day. Be sure to hoard a few bags and bars for yourself to savor between then and April 1st (which is the day after Easter, if you know what I mean). Just remember that it’s okay to indulge on a little chocolate every now and then. But it’s even better to indulge on discounted seasonal chocolate because for some reason, anything edible that’s non-expired and cheapened suddenly becomes tastier than if it were bought at full price. It’s the next best thing to receiving chocolate as a gift, seriously.