When I got back from abroad this spring, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the male population had gotten significantly hotter while I was away. Maybe I still had on my Europe Goggles, but suddenly everywhere I looked there were guys who I would love to DFMO. Who was that cutie in the back of my lit class? What about the attractive boy in baseball gear who I had never seen or hit on before? And why aren’t these boys ever at the bar?
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           Well, as it turns out, it’s because they’re too young to get in. Not only are they not 21, they are second semester freshman who have yet to figure out the necessity of the fake ID or a close personal relationship with Rhino Dave. Welcome to the dilemma of the upper classman: how young is too young?
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           In high school, it’s pretty uncommon for girls to date down. After all, science proves that we mature faster (and are smarter and cooler than) our male counterparts. Thus, by nature it makes sense that older guys would be more appealing. But now that we’re older, and the pool of eligible older boys is dwindling by the semester, the whole younger guy thing has become more and more acceptable. After all, unlike in high school, they are all over 18.
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Other than the untapped hotness, what exactly is it about the younger boy that appeals? According to a friend of mine who has dated down several times, “younger make girls feel way sexier and more confident because they are typically less experienced.” This can be a double-edged sword, though, because when dating a younger guy you risk having to guide them through everything, both in and out of the bedroom.
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           Now the one-year difference, I’m ok with. I’ve done it, and I accepted the title of cougar with pride. One of my friends dates a boy in the grade below us, and though I made fun of her at first, their relationship doesn’t creep me out nearly as much as it would have in high school. Despite their age difference they strike me as equal partners, to the point where I often forget that she is a total cradle robber.Â
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The two-year difference, though, is something I’m a little less clear on. I find it hard to take a crush on these boys seriously because it seems like they have so much less life experience. Do I think a lot of my little brother’s freshman friends are hot? Yes. Would I ever act on it? Probably not. On the one hand, it feels like they are so young. But on the other hand, what real difference does two years make?
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In the words of the ever-wise Pauly D, “if he’s still playing laser tag, he’s too young for you bro!” (This I may have to disagree with, mainly because laser tag is secretly a really fun drunk activity). In the more realistic words of my roommate, “if he’s taking you back to Darnall, he’s too young for you bro!” But I say if Demi can marry Ashton (RIP you two), an older girl has every right to embrace her inner cougar. Just make sure you bring him back to your place—New South bunk beds can be a bitch to sneak out of.Â
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Georgetown chapter.