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Top Ten Dating Tips For College Students

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Tip #1: Find someone who likes you for you.

That might sound cliché, but clichés can have truth to them. If you worry too much about what your date thinks about you, it can hurt your relationship more than help it. Notice the signals: body language, true listening and genuine commonality. You can learn who someone is on the first date, or you can wait a year and wonder why you didn’t see who the person was sooner. Antonioguillem/Fotolia

Tip #2: Respect is key in any relationship.

It is important that your date respects you because it shows that he or she is willing be your equal. Take a look at the way your date treats others. This should give you an idea as to how you can expect to be treated. If your date gets frustrated, does he or she take it out on someone else? Don’t settle for anyone who treats you badly. If you have set a boundary, it should be respected. Period. rohappy/Fotolia

Tip #3: Find someone who makes you laugh.

College itself can be serious, with a test around every corner and always the looming question — “What are you going to do with your life?” Dating should be an opportunity to relax, apart from your everyday pressures. If your date feels too much like a job interview, chances are, the spark isn’t there. eHarmony indicates that women prefer men that are funny, while men prefer women who think they are funny. Whatever that means. pressmaster/Fotolia

Tip #4: Your education comes first.

Generations ago, some women went to college to get the MRS degree. But times have changed. No matter how smitten you may be with the new person in your life, don’t let your grades suffer. Keep your eyes on the prize — and the prize is graduation. Getting too serious in a relationship has made The Odyssey’s list of the top regrets of college students. Another regret was studying too little. Yeko Photo Studio/Fotolia

Tip #5: Don’t date someone on the same floor as you.

Co-ed dorm life can feel like a real-life Tinder swiping session. However, unlike what happens with Tinder, if you break up, you are guaranteed to have some awkward times — which is true even if you are casual. If you are really tempted, wait until the end of the year so that you won’t have the cringe-worthy bathroom run-in. WavebreakMediaMicro/Fotolia

Tip #6: Your friendships last longer.

As the Spice Girls wisely sang in the '90s, “If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends.” Coming out of college, your dear friends will be the ones who become your bridesmaids and confidants as you navigate the shaky waters of adulthood. The person you meet in college is likely not going to be the person you marry, and even if they are, the median age of marriage is higher than it's ever been, often years after graduation. pressmaster/Fotolia

Tip #7: Be your own person.

Codependency can perhaps be the biggest challenge in any relationship. Although it can be romantic to declare that you can’t live without someone, in truth, you can — and you must — take your own path. Continue to do those things that are enjoyable to you. Loving yourself is an incredibly powerful action and the younger you learn it, the better. oneinchpunch/Fotolia

Tip #8: Don’t expect your date to read your mind.

The easiest way to have a peaceful and awesome relationship is to let others know how you feel. If they have hurt you or pissed you off, tell them! Keeping those communication lines free and open will help you learn more about the personalities of the people you date, as well as your own. Women are often relationship specialists and men are often task specialists. Talk things out to prevent misunderstandings. michaeljung/Fotolia

Tip #9: Keep it relaxed.

Dating should not be stressful, and if it is, then something is wrong. If you find yourself checking texts obsessively and keeping tabs on your boyfriend or girlfriend, this is worth looking into. After all, stressing out truly gets you nowhere, and confidence in your relationship will allow it to flourish. You can spend the time you would have spent stressing out having a good time in your life. Drobot Dean/Fotolia

Tip #10: Figure out what you want.

College is really about learning who you are, and this is in relationships as much as it is in the classroom. Set ground rules — know what you're looking for in dating and relationships. You may not be the journaling type, but putting it on paper can help you to know and recognize when that person isn’t in front of you. Some of your preferences may be flexible (like height) while others may be deal-breakers (like kindness). Establish standards for yourself and don’t lower them, even if it takes longer than college for you to meet Mr. or Ms. Right. Drobot Dean/Fotolia

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