All The Single Ladies

Freedom—that’s what some people think of when they hear the word, “single.” Other words? Lonely, boring, awful and depressing might be the words that come to mind. However, we at the Edge want you to know that singlehood isn’t something that you should perceive as bad or a waiting game until you find someone who you’re compatible with. Being single has many benefits, some that you might not even recognize. 

College is supposed to be the time to start figuring out who you are and what you care about. Sometimes when people are in a relationship, they modify their likes and dislikes based on the person they’re dating. They filter what they care about to become more desirable to the person that they’re with. Some don’t even mean to do it; it’s human nature to want to be liked. On the other hand, when you’re single, you aren’t pressured to like certain things or talk about topics you don’t care about. You have time and space to figure out what holds meaning to you and who you want to become. While being single, you also spend a lot of time with your friends. You are strengthening the relationships that will be in your life for the long haul, while that boy you desperately want to be with will be completely irrelevant in ten years. 

There’s this misconception that being alone means being lonely, but that isn’t true. As you begin to embrace being single, you’ll find you start to love and respect yourself even more. This time is a gift. You can spend a night in, not worrying about someone else or the responsibility to text back. When you’re single, you’re only responsible for yourself and your well-being. When you begin dating, which you will, you’re going to miss the period of your life when you could be completely selfish with your time and energy. 

You’re not going to be single forever. It’s college, and it’s just the beginning of your adult lives. There will be so many opportunities to date and fall in love. You could be in the happiest relationship of your life in five years. There is so much time to find your dream relationship. Our advice, though, is to focus on what you have right now in the present moment. Don’t waste valuable time wishing your situation was different when you have so many things that you might miss when you’re no longer single. Be grateful for these moments—days spent laughing with your roommates and nights spent dancing with your best friend—because those are the ones that you will remember for a lifetime. Those are the ones that college is all about.