Now that summer’s finally here, you’re free: free to sleep in, free to show off your tan in short-shorts, and—most exciting of all—free to find yourself a fine-looking man! Whether you’re a seasoned summer love vet or you’re fresh on the dating scene, you’ll need to know your options.
1. The Beach Bum
It wouldn’t feel right to talk about the boys of summer without first featuring the most summer-loving guy of all: the Beach Bum. Most often spotted sans shirt and shoes, the beach bum does exactly what you’d expect him to do: bum on the beach. Whether he’s surfing every morning, challenging unsuspecting strangers to heated games of volleyball, or even holding court as the lifeguard in the tall chair, this guy never seems to leave the beach. (And we mean never.) You look at him and you imagine you hear “Kokomo” playing softly somewhere...
What does this mean? First off, he probably has a killer tan. You might have a bit of a complex when you sit next to him–where have you been, hiding under a rock all summer? He also probably has some natural highlights that you find supremely adorable (provided you ignore the fact that they make him look like a Backstreet Boy). On top of all that, he has a beach-ready body (read: washboard abs, toned legs, and arms that could carry you comfortably into the sunset). Overall, he’s a good catch... for the summer only.
It’s all fun (and sun) and games with the Beach Bum during the summer months, when you always know where to find him. Chances are, however, that when it comes time to head back to school in September, you’ll find the Beach Bum out of reach. Unless your school happens to feature waterfront property, he probably isn’t going to show up on your campus. If he does go to your school or even attend one nearby, you might find that that he becomes a little, well, boring. When surfing is your life, what are you going to do when it starts to snow? Probably nothing. Enjoy him for the season, collegiettes, but keep in mind that all good summer flings must come to an end!
2. The High-Powered Intern
The beach is the last place that you’ll find this go-getter. The High-Powered Intern spends his days in a swanky office in the big city, attending important meetings and making tough calls on product development. In all honesty, he’s probably just working in some forsaken corner of the office with the other interns, but who’s to know? He wears nice pants and a tie, which means “professional” to you. We can guarantee that underneath those grown-up clothes, he has no tan whatsoever. This guy barely sees sunlight anymore.
Don’t expect any fancy dinner dates with this guy—he’s probably operating on an unpaid intern’s salary. Expect interesting conversation about his job (provided it actually is an interesting job) and about his hopes, dreams, goals... The best thing about the High-Powered Intern is that he’s driven and knows what he wants (which could be you!).
The downside is that the High-Powered Intern is generally busy for most of the time. Unlike your everyday average intern, he isn’t satisfied with just working the 9-to-5. This means that if you don’t have a full-time gig yourself, you may find yourself feeling a little lonely. Internships are also a lot more stressful than lazy summer days spent lounging on the beach, so don’t be shocked if he gets a little high-strung every so often. Help him blow off some steam by taking him to a theme park on a Saturday or catching a movie after work!
3. The Volunteer
The Volunteer is probably the most promising of the summer boy set, but don’t tell him we said that! The Volunteer gets involved because he cares about others more than himself, not because he wants to pick up girls! (If you find a Volunteer who actually is trying to get girls with his man-on-a-mission persona, start walking in the opposite direction and warn all women you pass.)
Whether he’s out every day working with children or settled in an office of a non-profit, the Volunteer is always doing what he does best: helping. You can’t quite put your finger on what it is you love about it so much. Is it his Superman-style, save-the-world attitude? His selfless refusal to accept pay for his time? Or is it that he just looks so darn cute playing patty-cake with little kids? Whatever the reason, the Volunteer is a definite “do.”
4. The Outdoorsman
It’s common knowledge: boys like to climb stuff. Your boy, however, doesn’t just climb stuff; he climbs trees, mountains, or anything else that is high enough off the ground that you’d faint if you tried to follow him.
No adventure is too grand for the Outdoorsman and you need to be up to the task. Afraid of heights? Don’t be surprised when he encourages you to jump from the high rock above the lake. Expect your days with the Outdoorsman to be filled with fresh-air nature walks, early morning hikes, adrenaline spikes, and a lot of jumping in general. Consider it extreme dating: the faint of heart need not apply! If you’re really attached to your summer sundress collection, you might want to reconsider; you won’t have anywhere to wear them if you hang around the Outdoorsman since all of his dates require hiking or gym clothes! (Fashion doesn’t exactly fit well with dirt, bugs, and relentless heat. Oh, and hello humidity, goodbye hair styling.)
If, however, you’re feeling like you can handle—and even enjoy—getting back to nature, you’re in for a treat! The Outdoorsman is a top-notch romantic. Whether you’re stargazing in a field or campus by a bonfire out in the woods, you’re getting quality one-on-one time with your man that would make any rom-com lover swoon. Roast some marshmallows, carve your names in a tree, or skip rocks at the lake; you’ll never want to go back indoors again!
5. The Summer Student
You might think that the Summer Student differs little from the typical college guy. He takes classes by day, does homework by night, and parties on the weekends, right?
Wrong. Sure, the guy’s still in the classroom and dealing with essays and the like. What makes the Summer Student different, however, is the fact that he’s probably only taking one or two classes. That, and the fact that, since it’s not an academic-year semester, everyone else he knows isn’t in the classroom anymore. One of three things will happen:
- He’ll treat the summer like any semester, staying in to do homework at night, indulging in Breaking Bad marathons to unwind, and letting loose once or twice a weekend. Not bad, but not thrilling, either. Where’s that summer spirit?
- He’ll be so filled with envy over your beach breaks and your lack of term papers and textbooks that he’ll get a little... bitter. He’ll complain, and after the fifth time, you will not enjoy listening.
- He’ll choose to ignore the fact that he is currently taking classes and will treat every day like summer. (Homework? What homework?)
We admire his drive, but we’re still a little hesitant. The best part of the summer dating scene is the chance to find a guy who isn’t still afflicted with the frat bro mentality or still stuck in study mode at night. Assess the situation before striking up with the Summer Student; if he seems like a summer-loving guy who’s only taking a class on the side, give him a shot!
6. The Tennis Pro
Similar to the beach bum, but classier, preppier, and fully clothed. The Tennis Pro enjoys swinging a racquet so much that he does it all day long, even–gasp!–for pay. Since he’s earning money doing something he loves, he’s probably one of the happiest guys you’ll meet this summer, and happy guys make for happy summer loves.
The Tennis Pro spends his days in his natural habitat: the country club. He’s usually surrounded by a group of rowdy children or a huddle of overly affectionate older women. He’ll probably take you to lunch at the club once or twice, and–with any luck–give you a private lesson. Sure, he’s almost annoyingly preppy, and no, you’re not a fan of his sock tan. But the clothes don’t make the man, and neither do the tan lines!
As long as your guy likes to do something other than play tennis (playing golf doesn’t count), you’ll find common ground and maybe even make your summer fling carry on into fall. If he spends his nights watching ESPN and salivating over the Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal rivalry, however, you might want to find a guy who’s a bit more well rounded (and a lot less obsessive). You don’t really feel like competing with cougars, anyway.
7. The Bartender
He may not be doing what he loves, but the Bartender is also one of the few boys who’s making bank this summer. He won’t be stressing over funds, so he won’t be filling his free time with odd jobs. That means, he’ll have more time to hang out with you! Since he often works the night shifts, he can spend hours on end lounging in the sun, taking walks in the park, taking daytrips to the beach, and doing any other cheesy (but awesome) romantic summer activity that your heart desires, all without missing a moment of work.
The downside, unfortunately, has to do with your schedule: if you’re working a 9-to-5 and are only free at night, the only time that you and your night-shift-loving hook-up have available for hang-outs is midnight or later... fun, but not very conducive to an actual relationship. Sigh.
If, however, you’re only working part-time or he finds himself on the day-shift circuit, you’re in the clear! Which is lucky, since the Bartender is one of the best boys on the block. Not only does he have an employee discount and know how to make yummy drinks, but he also likely has a life (and interests, talents, skills, etc.) that lies beyond his working hours. We like a guy with a little depth to him – even if he’s only our summer fling.
Get ready to dive into the summer dating pool, collegiettes! Whether he’s a 9-to-5er, a surfer boy, or a first-time intern, you’ll know what to expect. Let the summer lovin’ begin!