Raise your hand if you’ve ever watched those adorable, romantic holiday movies and thought to yourself, “I wish I had someone to share this season with.” Well, put those hands down, collegiettes! You don’t have to house-swap with a stranger like in The Holiday to avoid your single status this year—embrace it! We at Her Campus are going to tell you why being single during the holidays is actually amazing.
1. You Don’t Have to Share Your Time
Especially when you’re away at college most of the year, quality time with your family and friends is much needed during the holidays. When you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, you often have to decide which family you’re spending the holidays with, and possibly feel guilty if you want to spend your whole holiday with just yours.
“My boyfriend and I are really close with our families, but we also want to spend the holidays together,” says Kelly, a junior from Rutgers University. “His parents are divorced, so we end up spending Christmas day with three different families. I wish I could spend more time with my family on these special days.”
Lucky for you, you get to spend as much or as little time with your friends and family as you please when you’re single. You have no obligation to share your time with anyone else!
2. You Don’t Have to Find That Perfect Gift
Take it from us: finding the perfect holiday gift for your boyfriend or girlfriend is not an easy task! (Don’t even get us started on finding a gift for his or her parents as well.) Choosing the perfect gift for a significant other is not only time-consuming, but it can be pricey as well! When you’re single, you can treat yourself to something special instead (and you always know what you want!).
3. You Don’t Have to Pretend to Like Your Gifts
It’s just as hard for someone else to buy a gift for you as it is for you to buy one for someone else. This year, you don’t have to pretend to like that itchy Christmas sweater that your boyfriend’s mom bought for you, or that perfume your guy bought you that smells more like one your dog would wear (um, no thank you).
4. You Can Enjoy all the Parties Guilt-Free
Remember that episode of The Hills when Lauren and Jason went at it at the club and it ruined their whole New Year’s? When you’re single, you won’t ruin a special night with boyfriend drama. In fact, you won’t have any drama, because you’re free to do whatever you want! Dance with who you want, hang out with who you want, stay as long as you want. You could even throw your own party for all of your single friends!
5. You Can Rock That Ugly Christmas Sweater
You not only can behave however you want at parties––you also have no one to impress at parties. When you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, it might be harder to get silly for themed parties because you want to look your cutest. Ugly Christmas sweater parties are all the rage during the holidays, so go all out!
6. You Can Avoid Awkward Parent Situations
If you’ve ever met a significant other’s parents, then you know it can be really awkward. You’re so worried about making a good first impression that it’s hard to relax and enjoy the holidays. And what about when you meet the parents and find out they’re crazy, and you secretly worry your boyfriend might grow up to be like them?! As a single collegiette, you don’t have to worry about any of that (and trust us, that is a great thing).
7. You’ll Have a Fresh Start for the New Year
The end of the holiday season is a time for reflection. What you decide to do with the next 12 months is completely up to you. When you start the New Year single, you get to make choices about where you want your life to go without influence from a significant other.
“I love being single at the end of the year,” says Samantha, a junior at the University of Delaware. “I make New Year’s resolutions just for me, and it’s really rewarding to not have someone else in mind while I’m making them.”
So next time you see a cute couple holding hands during the holidays (or any time of year), don’t let it get you down. Being single has so many benefits––enjoy them!