Today: Mar 28, 2024

The many difficulties of dating on and off campus

Sofia RositaniReporter

Love has been in the air since February started. With Valentine’s Day just having passed, many students are thinking about love, or their lack thereof.

Dating on campus, as a college student is probably one of the hardest things to do especially since students often have to deal with classes, work and club activities, leaving simply no time to date.

A certain pastime for many college students is using dating apps such as Tinder, Grindr, Bumble and Hinge — just to name a few. LendEDU, a student loan refinancing online marketplace, asked 9,761 college students if they use Tinder, and 72 percent said they do but 44 percent say they use it for “confidence-boosting procrastination.”

However, it also states that “70 percent of college students say they have not actually met up with anyone from the app,” which begs the question: are college students trying to find love or just a simple pastime?

Biochemistry major Jessica Schreiber, a senior, said she has a boyfriend off-campus whom she met on a dating app.

“I actually met my boyfriend on Tinder,” said Schreiber.

As of now, Schreiber said she and her boyfriend have been together a little over 15 months, and if she had not met her boyfriend off-campus, she would not be opposed to dating on-campus.

English major Chloe Lecy, a junior, said her biggest obstacle in dating on-campus is she lives out of state. “I have met more friends than I have had potentially that I can click with on Southern’s campus,” said Lecy, “so I live in Massachusetts so it’s hard for me to even imagine having a dating life here let alone even maintaining friendships.”

Lecy said she is not completely opposed to dating on campus, but that it just would be difficult for her.

One of the other difficulties surrounding dating as a college student is time management between classes and work, as well as clubs on campus. Students also decide to date off-campus, like music major Anastasija Lebron, a freshman, who said she is currently dating offcampus with a job in Waterbury, Conn.

“Honestly I wouldn’t say I like it better,” said Lebron. “I like them a lot — don’t get me wrong — but I feel like if they were on campus we would be able to spend a lot more time together.”

Another problem Lebron said for her and many other students apart of the LGBTQ+ community is that there are a lack of members who are willing to put themselves out there and date on campus.

“Dating for me on campus — it’s almost nonexistent,” said Lebron.

On top of going to class and going to work in Waterbury, she said she has no time to stay on-campus and meet other students.

Lebron said she admits to using the dating app “Hinge,” and said students should not just limit themselves to finding someone on-campus.

“I feel like there are more opportunities to date outside of campus,” said Lebron. “Because there are more gay people out in the whole of New Haven than just on Southern’s campus.”

Lebron said she does have ideas for future LGBTQ+ students and students who are looking for someone such as fun events on campus like speed dating for anyone interested or different events to bring students together who are looking for a significant other or just a friend.

“Don’t try to force yourself to go out there and get into a relationship,” said Lebron. “If it’s really the right time for you it will happen, and it will happen naturally. It will be so much better than trying to force yourself to be in a relationship with somebody.”

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