Single College Freshman’s Guide to Valentine’s Day
In reality February 14th is just another day of the year, but when you’re in college you might feel like you’re the only single freshman on campus. Everybody else is spending time with a boyfriend or girlfriend, and you’re just sitting alone in your dorm room wishing you had someone special too.
How can you survive being single on Valentine’s Day? This day may seem like another reminder that you’re not dating anyone. What can you do instead of spending the day feeling miserable and down on yourself?
3 Ways to Spend Valentine’s Day as a Single College Freshman
1. Focus on the people around you.
Seeing your friends gush about their significant other on social media can tempt you to compare yourself to them. What’s wrong with you that you aren’t dating? Why can’t you find someone if so-in-so can? To avoid getting caught in this comparison trap, take a one day social media fast.
Get off of Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, etc. for the entire day. Avoid the temptation to become jealous of others. If you were meant to be dating right now, you would be dating. But you’re not, and that is completely fine. There’s nothing “wrong” with you. It just isn’t the right time.
You have some pretty incredible people in your life: your friends, your family, your roommates, etc. Don’t forget about them! Instead of focusing on the boyfriend or girlfriend you don’t have focus on the important relationships you do have.
Plan on spending the time you could be spending with your valentine with the people who are important to you. Schedule out time to focus on these people. Give one of them a call. Take another friend out to coffee. Send a card to a third person.
Valentine’s Day can be more than a celebration of romantic relationships. It can be a day to show appreciation for the people you love and respect. So, focus your attention on the people who are involved in your life, not on the people you wish were part of it.
2. Spend your time and money on others.
While you may not have a significant other to spend your money on or give your time to, you do know people who would greatly appreciate your time and thoughtfulness. You could spend the day stuffing your face with chocolate, milkshakes, and fries or you could spend your time helping someone else.
Do you know a couple with small kids? Parents of young children often struggle to find babysitters to watch the kids on days like February 14th. Consider volunteering to babysit for the evening. This one time commitment is a small sacrifice on your part that will be much appreciated by the parents.
Do you know someone with animals who want to get away? If you’ve ever owned a pet, you know that going out of town can be a hassle. Finding someone who will come in and check on your animal while you’re away for the weekend is difficult. Think about donating your time to help out.
Do you know a widow or widower? Elderly people, especially grandparents, love seeing you. They are often very lonely and miss seeing their family and loved ones on special days. Consider volunteering at an assisted living or long term healthcare facility. Just an hour of your time will definitely brighten up a their day.
Do you live near a hospital? Patients who are fighting terminal illnesses or undergoing treatments can get forgotten on days like this. Sending valentines, stopping in to say hello, or receiving thoughtful cards will bring a smile to their faces.
If you decide to volunteer at a healthcare facility, be sure you contact the facility prior to your arrival. You may need to go through a registration process and need to follow certain guidelines, so be sure you are informed and prepared before arriving.
3. Express appreciation to others.
College years can be a time where students focus entirely on themselves. Almost everything in their lives revolve around their schedule, wants, needs, etc. In the busyness of college life, students can forget to think about or communicate with others.
On Valentine’s Day this year, don’t forget to express appreciation for others. When you think about the most important relationships in your life, what people come to mind? Maybe you’re thinking about a parent, a sibling, a friend from high school, etc. When was the last time you expressed appreciation to those people?
If you’re anything like me, you mentally appreciate those people on a regular basis, but you might forget express your appreciation in words or actions. Make it your goal this February 14th to demonstrate how much you are truly grateful for them.
While you can certainly send a text message or leave a voicemail, try to be creative. Whatever you do, be sure it is thoughtful and will be appreciated by that person. Feel free to borrow one of these ideas:
Buy your mom a card and write a heartfelt and hand-written note inside.
Buy your dad a gift card to his favorite coffee shop.
Take your friend out to lunch and pay.
Send your friend a handmade card and gift.
Send your grandmother a bouquet of flowers in the mail.
Invite your college friends over for a movie night and buy snacks.
Head over to Instagram or Pinterest to choose a valentine and tag a friend.
However you decide express your appreciation just be sure you do it. Don’t let the whole day go by without telling your close friends and family you care about them.
Being single at college on Valentine’s day doesn’t have to be cliché or depressing. You don’t have to burn the gifts from your ex, text your crush, or spend your entire evening watching romantic comedies. Use this day to take stock of all the wonderful people in your life. Show them how much you care on this Valentine’s Day.
