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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at IUP chapter.

Being single throughout my entire life is something that I haven’t really talked about a lot. I know I’m still young, but seeing my friends and peers get into relationships my entire life has always put a damper on me. When I start to feel down about it, I remind myself of the things that I’ve gotten to learn and experience while being single. Being single has taught me many things, but here are some of the most important things that I’ve learned while being single.

I’ve learned a lot about myself

With the extra time that I’ve had from being single, I’ve been able to learn a lot about myself and who I am as a person. My hobbies, passions, values, and the goals that I want to accomplish someday are just some of the things that I’ve gotten to learn about myself with the extra time I’ve had. Having to spend more time alone has allowed me to try different hobbies and find what I truly enjoy doing, making the single life more enjoyable since I can use my time to pursue things that make me feel good and becoming my own best friend.

I can still show love to other PEOPLE even if i’m not in a relationship

You don’t have to be in a relationship in order to show love to other people. You can still show love to your friends, family, pets, or even just the stranger you pass on the street. Everyone shows love and receives love in different ways. For me, spending quality time with people, helping them out, or just sending a text to see how they are doing are just some of the ways that I can show love and that I care for someone. We often associate love with romantic relationships, but love can be displayed to all of our relationships. Taking some time to show love to my friends has always been something that always puts a smile on their faces, which puts one on mine knowing that I could do something to make them happy.

To value my alone time

I used to hate being by myself, but now I always enjoy my own company. Being able to grow and enjoy the time I get to spend by myself has led me to being comfortable in my own skin and not worrying about what everyone else is thinking of me. Throughout a lot of my teenage years and becoming a young adult, almost all of my friends were in relationships, so while they were with their boyfriends a lot of the time, I had to occupy my time by spending it alone; which is not a bad thing.  Enjoying time by myself has given me the opportunity to grow as a person and constantly reflect on how I can improve myself and the ways that I can be my own best friend. At the end of the day, the only person that I truly have is myself, so being able to enjoy my time by myself by doing things that I enjoy doing helps me be more in touch with myself and confident in who I am.

Being single has actually brought a lot of good in my life, more than I actually realized. It’s okay to be single, and embracing your single life is the first step into enjoying it. I know that one day I will find my person to share my life with, but right now, I am going to enjoy the single life

Michaela is a writer on the Her Campus team at IUP and is also on the social media team creating posts on the Instagram. At IUP, Michaela is majoring in Nursing, with the goal of becoming a travel nurse after she graduates. She is a junior and is expected to graduate in 2026. In her free time, Michaela enjoys reading, crocheting, and spending time outdoors. She also enjoys going to the gym and walking her dog. She loves to listen to rock and pop punk music and enjoys attending concerts.