You’ve tested the dating pool by going to frat parties, scoping out club meetings and looking extra cute for class in the hopes that you’ll catch the attention of that campus cutie who sits across from you, but finding a quality guy can be harder than it looks.
We all know the pickings can be slim on college campuses, and while every collegiette has different standards when it comes to choosing her guy, there’s one thing we can all agree we want to avoid: drama. While we can’t exactly find your dream guy for you, Her Campus is here to help you with a list of guys to avoid while searching for potential boyfriends.
While these rules aren’t set in stone, follow these guidelines to avoid the dramatic consequences that tend to come with dating these guys:
1. Your RA
While it’s your resident assistant’s job to make you feel as comfortable as possible in your dorm, dating him can cross the line and become a little too comfortable. While it may start out as what seems like the ideal situation (he lives down the hall!), it could backfire if things don’t work out.
“Last semester I was hooking up with my RA and I thought we were going to date, but he ended things with me and it got so awkward,” says Michelle, a freshman at the University of Delaware. “I see him every day and just look down. The mandatory floor meetings he runs every week are so uncomfortable now!”
2. Your TA
Having a hot teaching assistant makes that 8 a.m. chemistry class so much more tolerable, right? While dating a TA may not seem as bad as dating a professor because he’s still a student, it can be seen as unethical and should definitely wait until after the class is over. Plus, if you decide he’s not your Prince Charming, do you really want your grade lying in the hands of an angry ex?
3. Your Friend’s Ex
This is the girl code we learn from day one: your friend’s ex-boyfriend is off-limits.
“I’ve always had a crush on my friend’s ex-boyfriend. They had been broken up for over a year when we finally hooked up, so I didn’t think it would be a big deal,” says Lexi, a junior at the University of Michigan. “I immediately told her about it and asked if she would be upset if it happened again. She said yes, so I backed off, but our friendship hasn’t been the same since.”
Dating a friend’s ex is practically guaranteed to lead to drama—or even the end of a friendship.
4. Your Ex's Roommate
No matter how much you may like him, we can’t imagine anything more awkward than spending R&R time with your boyfriend… and your ex. Together. In one room. A relationship should be a comfortable experience, and by starting things up with someone who’s close to your ex (in both a “close friends” and a “close quarters” sense), tension will be created right from the start.
5. Your Dorm-mate
Dating someone right next door can seem like a perfect (and convenient!) option in college. Who doesn’t want to see their beau every day for the rest of the school year? However, there are two majors problems with this: one, too much time together may not always benefit your relationship, and two, if it ends, you’ll have to see him every time you walk in and out of your door.
“Dating my neighbor was the worst idea I’ve ever had,” says Sara*, a freshman at the University of Delaware. “After we broke up, he’d give me dirty looks in the hallway all the time and cause a huge scene any time I brought another guy home. It was terrible.”
6. The Campus Player
Every collegiette thinks she can totally change the guy who openly embraces single life by hooking up with everyone in sight. But before you go for this challenge, think about it—do you really want to be with someone with wandering eyes who is infamous around campus for his hook-ups?
7. Your Friend’s Brother
If your friend is a protective sister or brother, things could get weird with this one. “I dated my best friend’s brother for a little while,” says Arielle, a sophomore at the University of Delaware. “We all thought it would be great at first, but soon my friend was getting annoyed that every time I came over it wasn’t for her anymore. Eventually it caused too much drama, and I ended things with him.”
There are so many dateable guys out there, so when you’re searching for your potential beau, keep this list in mind to eliminate the drama. Enjoy your flings, collegiettes!
*Name has been changed.