“I don’t need a man. I don’t care right now. I can take care of myself,” one sophomore said. She chose to remain anonymous.
Many students do feel this way, and I agree with this anonymous sophomore. College is about finding yourself, your passion, and making plans for how you want your life to go. I’m not saying to be closed to the idea of a relationship, especially should someone worthy meander into your life. But, college is, like the anonymous sophomore said, about taking care of yourself or at least learning how to be independent.
But, with the plethora of social media sites specifically designed for meeting people and aiding the formation of relationships, the idea of college independence can be easily forgotten.
EHarmony, JDate, Christian Mingle, the college-specific DateMySchool.com, the flirty Zoosk.com- these are all sites marketed to single adults both young and old. Some students might feel lonely or even just bored with the scene of people here at Pace. Perhaps some just don’t enjoy going out and partying or even going out to school-sanctioned events, so perhaps these websites might be a viable option.
“[Online dating] works for some people but not for everyone,” sophomore nursing major Allie Kress said. “It’s easy to meet people at parties, but if you’re not going out then online dating might work for you.”
This much is true. Every Match.com commercial brags about the percentages of couples who meet each other and “stay together.” But some students still dislike the idea of meeting someone online, or even just actively seeking a relationship during their college years.
“Everyone is creepy,” said junior nursing major Brittany Wolff in reference to people who use dating websites.
You never truly know who you are talking to or who you will find online.
If you do feel that you want to take a chance on starting some kind of relationship, you may be better off meeting someone at Paulie’s or asking out the cute guy in math class. It’s up to the individual to decide which method of meeting people is best for them, but online dating might generally not be the best for the college-aged individual.
“Don’t go looking online, not at our age. It’s an old person thing,” sophomore education major Jack Quinn said.
While the “old person” comment may be arguable, Quinn makes the point that we are young and have the ability to go out without worrying about finding anyone serious.
“Online dating is more for people not in college,” sophomore business major Rodiel Galvez said. “In college, there are people everywhere.”
This is one of the only times in our lives where we are surrounded by people in our age group, whether we live on campus or not. This is one of the only times where we can go out every weekend with some sense of independence, but not full adult responsibility. College is the time to meet new people and learn new things without the specific intention of going out to meet potential significant others. Actively seeking a partner might only lead to disappointment or run-ins with internet creeps. Meeting someone on campus, getting to know that someone, and proceeding to date them, is different, and can lead to a fun college relationship. But don’t get your hopes up to meet that special someone on campus or online.
The anonymous sophomore sums up her feelings on the college dating scene. She is not actively seeking out any kind of relationship; she is focusing on herself.
“Right now, I’m happy. Until I have a job with a fixed income and feel like I want to settle, then maybe I’ll turn to some dating website,” she said.