This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at VCU chapter.
A first date can be really exciting! If you have been recently asked out by a guy you’re crushing on, set up on a blind date, or finally giving that one guy a chance, then it’s more than natural for you to be nervous about the first date. All you know is that you want to put your best foot forward. To make sure you get the most out of your date, here are a few helpful tips.
- Time management. Always make sure you have enough time to get ready. You should not make someone wait over 5 minutes after your scheduled date because that’s rude. This person took the effort to ask you out and plan out your night, so you should give the decency to be on time. You should also give yourself the time to take a nap because it isn’t fun to be around someone who is tired and would rather spend time in their bed instead of hangin out. This is a sure way to make your date feel awkward and uncomfortable.
- Hygiene. Take a shower, brush your teeth, shave, and wear good smelling perfume. You definitely want to make a good first impression even if you don’t find yourself liking that person after your date because you never know what he will say about you afterwards. People talk. Also you never know how close you’ll get to that person at the end of the date if sparks start to fly!
- Plan out your outfit and make-up. Now’s it’s time to dress up! Keep in mind that you don’t want to look like you care too much, or that you care too little. Your goal is to look effortlessly beautiful. However the key component to effortless beauty is effort, so make sure to start thinking about your outfit a good deal before it’s time to get ready. Prepare for the night by doing your laundry a day before so that you can wear that super adorable top from a few weeks ago! Also it’s a good idea to know the purse you are going to take, and what you will be putting in it because clearing out a huge purse may take some time.
- Have a positive attitude! Try to have confidence in yourself so you can enjoy the night ahead. Try to make getting ready for a date fun! When asking Aba, a VCU student, what a good before date ritual would be, she said “Blast your favorite music to keep you nerves down and you will always dress cuter when you have a banging bass line.” Make sure to smile and be excited!
- Have a back-up plan and don’t over think. Always have cab fair because you never know how badly a date can go. You may get into awkward situations like my friend who had to take a cab from Washington D.C. to her home in Virginia because her date got too wasted to take her home. Obviously, some dates may not be the magical night where fairy godmothers help you get to the ball and prince charming is waiting for you. Also sometimes dates can go wrong by accident! You may have accidently spilled a drink on yourself and ruined your new sweater. Don’t over think about the date and the person. Just keep an open mind. Erica, a VCU junior, says “It’s one date! That doesn’t mean that this is the guy or girl you’re going to marry. It’s meant to be a fun experience that makes you happy.”