I’ve never been the type of girl to have serious relationships or to go out on several dates each week. If you ask me, I’m much happier without a steady boyfriend. I will never be able to understand why our society places such high expectations on young women to have relationships and to get married.
In college, I have absolutely no desire to become seriously involved with someone; I want to enjoy every ounce of my youth, all by myself. I have the rest of my life to have my fairytale moment, but for now, it’s just Katherine, single Katherine, who only needs pizza and music to have a good time.
Choosing to “stay single” doesn’t mean that you’re a prude or that you’re not sexually attracted to anyone. In my opinion, choosing to “stay single” is an applaudable decision and us women who do make this decision don’t get enough credit. Let’s be honest, college life is extremely lonely and at any point, you’re willing to risk it all and put yourself out there. As cliché as it may sound, I would rather wait for the right person to commit to instead of rushing into a serious relationship for the sake of companionship. Mainly, because I don’t think it’s worth all the emotions, distractions and hardships that a relationship consists of.
I would rather stay single in college for several reasons. I don’t have to talk to my partner every day and let’s face it, I am incapable of responding to texts or calls in a timely manner. I don’t have to spend an insane amount of time with my partner; instead, I’m as free as a bird and I get to live the spontaneous lifestyle that I love (unless I find a guy who’s as spontaneous as I am, then this all might change).
Also, I don’t have to worry about fights or petty things that modern-day couples go through, nor do I have to worry about the mushy stuff, like going out on weekly romantic dates, buying each other sentimental gifts or having cute pet names for each other.
Now, you might be wondering what are some of the perks of staying single in college? Well, for starters, endless sex. Needless to say, if you’re in a relationship you don’t have as much sexual freedom, which is a reason to stay single in itself. Another benefit is that you get to do whatever you want. Whether you stuff your face and order takeout at 11 p.m. (UberEATS is a thing now and I’ve never been happier), fall asleep on the couch in your not-so-cute underwear or binge episodes of “The Bachelor,” you will never feel more liberated.
My priority is to build a life for myself. I’m much too busy working toward a degree in art history to search for “the right guy.” It’s always been important to me to make sure that I am steady in my career before I add a serious boyfriend into the equation. (Hi, mom! Yes, I listened.)
They say that your college years are the years you “meet the person you spend the rest of your life with.” Considering how indecisive I am and how difficult it is for me to commit, I’ll most likely need more than four years, but that’s not the point. The point is, we should feel empowered and genuinely happy to “stay single.” Whether we plan on entering a committed relationship after college or we officially stop swiping right, seeking other moments of bliss play an important role in our chapter of individualism.
As I watch all of my friends enter the dating world and start serious relationships, I sometimes wonder if that will ever be me. In a sense, I want those same feelings – the feelings of desire, lust, and companionship. I’m not sure if I’m ready to open up to someone on a more intimate level; for now, I have kept everything strictly causal, and that’s perfectly OK. When it comes to matters like this, I can’t help but think of my future. I often ask myself if I’ll ever “find the one” and “live happily ever after” or will I live alone in a cute little apartment in meatpacking, going out every weekend, reliving my college years? Either way, I have the rest of my life to think about matters like this; for now, I’m willing to spend these years by myself. I want to look back at my college years and reminisce about the times I would have traveled the world alone as opposed to having to bring an ex-boyfriend back into the picture.