It’s spreading faster than the flu in the fall: senior FOMO. And if you’re recently single, you probably feel like you’re missing out on the one person you always imagined would share all those final college memories with you. But don’t fret, collegiettes, because by the end of this article, you’ll realize that breaking up may not have been all that great at the time, but it was perfect timing. Here are HC’s top reasons for why second semester of your senior year is the best time to be single and ready to mingle.
1. One less emotional goodbye
Let’s be honest here: goodbyes suck and they’re pretty much inevitable. I’m already coming up with avoidance maneuvers and I’m realizing that I’ll regret every one of them about a month after graduation. Without a significant other, that’s one less tear to shed, one less person to miss, and one less Facebook profile to stalk about a month later when you’re feeling nostalgic. Not to mention one significantly happier collegiette!
2. Total dating freedom
That cute guy you’ve been eyeing since freshman year? Go for it. How about the guy in your History of Science class who always sits next to you? All yours. And you absolutely, definitely should go out the night that seven of your favorite frats are throwing down. Because guess what? You can do whatever you want, whenever you want. You don’t have to answer to anyone. You never have to worry about getting a little too drunk or a little too flirty on a Saturday night—you won’t be getting a disapproving look or a cold shoulder from your boyfriend the next day. You make all the rules. Yup, that’s right: senior spring just got awesome.
3. No “So, where do we go from here?” talk
Count yourselves lucky, single collegiettes. Best-case scenario for couples is that they both decide to make the post-college commitment (which could involve long-distance, so I’d use the word “best” lightly). Worst-case scenario is that you find out who has invested more in the relationship. There’s no other way to spin it: it’s awkward if only one person wants to keep it going. Lucky for you, you don’t have to have this talk now—nor do you have to start collecting tissues (or phone minutes) for later.
4. You don’t have to plan your life around anyone else
What with the job search and grad school applications, planning out your own post-grad life is stressful enough. Now imagine making tweaks to your career, city, and living space plans to accommodate your boyfriend. Um, no thank you. We’re second semester seniors: we’re young, and at the risk of sounding like those angsty teenagers on Disney channel, we need to figure things out on our own. This is not the time to limit ourselves. We’ll have our late 20s, early 30s, the rest of our lives to plan around our marriages and our children, and who knows what else, so why start now? You don’t have to contribute to the age-old war between love and career. Instead, you’ll be choosing between a fabulous job in NYC or a fellowship to write in Italy. Decision, decisions…
5. You don’t have to deal with his parents at graduation
Graduation is stressful enough with your parents: they follow you everywhere, they have no idea how to get anywhere on campus, they ask a million questions and want to take even more pictures. It’s like you’re assigned two freshmen for the weekend (no offense, Mom and Dad). Imagine having to deal with his parents too—especially if you’ll be meeting them for the first time.
6. Did someone say, “Girls’ Night?”
It’s official: you can now look forward to your senior spring as a Sex and the City montage. It’s rough being single at times, but it’s also hard to sit around and mope when you and your five closest friends get together. Laughter, squeals, mischief, dares, a little wingwomaning here and there—you name it, you’re in it together. You don’t have to tone it down so your boyfriend can stand being in the same room with all of you for more than five seconds; you and your friends have the green light to be as loud and crazy as you want.
7. More money in your pocket
Let’s do a tally, shall we? Valentine’s gift, graduation gift, dates you split and dates on you… and if his birthday is in the spring, tack that onto your bill, too. Scratch that. Now what does being single add up to? Saving you money. And that’s a skill you’ll definitely need post-graduation.
Don’t even think about lamenting your single status, this is your last chance to make some amazing, incredible memories. You only senior once (#yoso). So all my single collegiettes, put your hands up, because it’s time to live it up!