As a college student in 2019, most of your life is based online. Especially your romantic life, so I sought out to see which apps out there, are more preferable to a college woman.
Bumble
Bumble on the surface is very similar to Tinder. You swipe left or right on potential matches with the goal of matching. However, there is a lot of stigma surrounding the app. Many are daunted by the idea that women have to message men first, which I think scares a lot of people away from the app. It also has a stigma that the only people who use it are “weird” and it is mostly for long term dating rather than hookups.
While using Bumble, I kept these warnings from those around me in mind. I did find that the app had more than a casual hookup vibe to it. When you first sign up it asks you if you are looking for “a relationship”, “something casual”, “marriage” and “don’t know yet”. The app also seems more personal, giving you the option to answer questions about yourself that others can then see on your profile. After you match, the woman has 24 hours to message first and after that period the man has 24 hours to reply. Bumble also suggests that you don’t just send “hey” as an opening message.
Many of the people I personally matched with on the app did seem to be after more than just a hookup, even suggesting dates and asking personal questions to keep the conversation going. This is definitely a good transition app, and I found myself more confident after being the one who has to message first. I think Bumble is a good app if you are looking for a relationship, or even something less casual, but you’re over the casual hookups of college.
Tinder
Tinder in college, definitely has a superficial feeling around it. There is no pressure to put a lot of detail in your profile and anyone can message first without fear of the match timing out. Many know Tinder as an app for casual hookups and it’s already pretty popular. There isn’t much need to explore the stigmas around it as many people already know them.
While using Tinder, the first difference between the two apps is that it is a lot less detailed. There is no pressure to really put yourself out there. You have basic options such as swiping left or right and the end goal is also matching with someone. Unlike Bumble, most of my matches only wanted hookups or sex related things. One of the interesting things with Tinder is the TinderU feature, where you only match with fellow college students. Many of the stigmas around this app are also true, especially that it is an app that most people solely use for hookups. With Tinder it is harder to get to know people as you are relying on their bio, but there is something to be said for having a conversation to get the know someone versus judging based on a profile. Overall, this is definitely a hookup app.
After using both apps, I do plan on continuing to use both in the future and like them both a lot. I definitely recommend Bumble if you are looking for something a little more serious, but I think both are something everyone should explore and look into.