So, you’re single. Maybe you’ve just broken up with your high school boyfriend or you’ve been unattached for a while now. Either way, there’s nothing wrong with riding solo. On the contrary, being single your freshman year is the best thing that’s ever happened to you. Don’t believe us? Here are some reasons that will change your mind:

1. You’re in good company.

Despite what you may think, “single” is not synonymous with “lonely.” Tons of young women enter college single, and what better way to bond with these lovely ladies (and make new friends) than by telling funny stories about your respective exes? You can even make a game of it!

2. You can lust after your hot RA/Orientation Leader/upperclassman crush, guilt-free.

Connie Chan, a senior at Carnegie Mellon, entered college single after breaking up with her high school sweetheart. “Even though I missed my ex at times, it was refreshing to meet so many new guys and flirt without feeling guilty,” she says. “Looking back, I’m glad I was able to fully experience my first weeks of college without anything holding me back.”

Although you may not want to jump into dating a senior immediately when you start your freshman year, there’s nothing wrong with a little harmless flirtation with one of the hot older students helping out at orientation activities. Checking out cute freshmen was probably the main reason they volunteered for the job in the first place…

**3. You can bond with your floormates during marathons of Girl Code, interruption-free.**

The worst part about watching a bunch of female comedians discuss their various romantic struggles is having to take the time to answer every interrupting text from the very cause of your own romantic problems. When you’re with your girl friends, you should be with them—not concentrating on some boy/girl miles away who can’t relate to the delicate art of eyebrow waxing. That’s girl code.

4. You can throw yourself into clubs, intramural sports and Greek life.

Without a SO to take up all your time and distract you, you can really concentrate on the most fun aspects of college life. Adam LoDolce, a dating coach who offers free video dating advice at SexyConfidence.com, advocates for this, saying, “Freshman year is the time to be insanely social and meet as many new people as possible. If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend then he/she will likely hold you back.” Besides exploring your personal interests, getting involved on campus is one of the quickest ways to make new friends… and meet new people.

5. The guys/girls in college are way hotter (and less awkward) than they were in high school.

Chances are that you were there to witness your high school SOs awkward stage, but college is a blank slate. You may think your last SO was the cream of the crop, but that’s only because you’ve been living on a small farm. (That’s just a metaphor, gals.)

6. You can actually focus on your studies.

As much as we love partying, higher education is what you enrolled in college for. When you’re not interrupting studying with constant texts and not blowing off reading for hour-long Skype sessions, you will have a much easier time getting your work done. As lame as it sounds, a big part of college is the actual learning part. You can get work done a lot faster and better when you’re not constantly distracted by a blinking phone screen.

7. You can party, guilt-free!

Seriously, if you’re not going to flirt with one of the cuties at a frat party, there’s no point risking your precious outfit and shoes to possible beer spills. Nicole Echeverria, a junior at the University of Michigan, says that one of the biggest perks of being single your freshman year is that “you can meet, hang out with and flirt with any guy and not feel the least bit guilty.” Not only that, but it’s much easier to get into a frat party with a group of single girls instead of your SO hanging on your arm.

8. Your dating pool is the largest it will be for the next four years.

When you’re a freshman, everyone is fair game. Since you probably don’t know many people yet, anybody could be the one, or, at least, the one right now. Freshman year is really the only time you get a free pass to ride the hot mess express, so you might as well make the most of it. LoDolce adds, “Although you may not want to ‘sleep around,’ a few hook-ups may let you have a little fun while you focus on your school work.” You’ll be a disillusioned SWUG before you know it, so why not play the field when the field is at its largest?

9. You can take over your common room to learn the “Single Ladies” dance.

Move the chairs, hook up your computer to the giant TV screen and press play. There’s no doubt this classic Beyonce tune will become the personal anthem that powers you through freshman year—especially after you and two of your friends learn the dance. Who cares if they don’t put a ring on it? Sasha Fierce doesn’t.

10. You won’t have a breakup with your high-school SO when you’re in college.

If you start out college single, you avoid the awkward and emotional experience of parting ways with someone you dated in high school. “It is very likely your high school relationship will end anyway, so break it off before you miss your entire freshman year experience,” says LoDolce.

11. You’ll have better stories.

When you’re 85 years old and telling stories about your good ole college days to your grandkids, they probably won’t want to hear about your hour-long Skype sessions with what’s-their-name. Avalon Jones, a recent graduate of George Mason University, says, “My only regret in life is starting my freshman year in a relationship with my now ex-boyfriend still back at home. I completely missed out on my entire fall semester. I didn’t go to parties or meet very many friends. Finally, during winter break, I chose to end the relationship and had an amazing spring semester in return.” Without a boyfriend holding you back, you’re free to have lots of wild fun in college!

12. You can learn more about yourself.

College is all about discovering who you are, and sometimes the only way you can do that is through being alone. “I met my boyfriend at the beginning of freshman year, but we didn’t get together until the end of sophomore year,” says Katherine Mirani, a senior at Northwestern University. “It took so long because we both had a lot of growing and changing to do before we were ready to be in a relationship.”

For most young women, college is the first time you get to be fully independent, but you can’t really do that if your high school self still lives in a relationship. While being somebody’s girlfriend is great, being yourself is better.

Clearly, your single status isn’t a death sentence—it’s a new lease on life! When it comes to making new friends, embracing new opportunities and meeting new people, you’ll be ready to do it all with your single girl swagger.

12 Reasons Why Being Single When You Start College is the Best