With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, now all of the sudden those “R U UP” messages from Tinder seem as unappealing as writing a school paper. You tried all of the dating apps, but swiping did not bring you the right person. Plus, that nagging question you were asked over break still lingers in the air. Have you found anyone special? The seat at the dinner table next to yours sat empty because the dating apps failed to fill it. Maybe you should delete the apps and start from scratch. Take it back to the basics and start looking for your soulmate in all of the usual places.
If you are looking for someone special (and trying to appease your mother), keep reading to discover 10 places where you can find The One.
10. Get In Your Workout While Meeting Your Valentine
If a certain cutie catches your eye while working out at the gym, step out of your comfort zone and say hello. A simple smile over the course of a few weeks could start to establish a rapport, and from there you grow a connection. Chloe O’Brien, 20, goes to Clemson University and met her boyfriend while working out at a teammates house.
“When the pandemic hit and we got sent home, I got the chance to start hanging out with him in person,” O’Brien said. “We were just hanging out as friends but then the longer we hung out, we started liking each other and then we started going on dates. And now we’re dating!”
A good approach might include catching up to someone either before or after their workout. Flirting before their workout could make them more likely to talk to you because they won’t be dripping sweat. After the workout, they may ride an adrenaline high since they completed their exercise for the day. Offer up a smoothie or protein shake date as an after-gym activity and the two of you could become the ultimate fitness power duo.
9. Get Academically (and Romantically) Focused
The classroom is one of the easiest places to meet people because it’s generally the same group of individuals meeting for weeks on end. This gives you the perfect amount of time to get the number of that smart-yet-dashing student sitting next to you and strike up a conversation. Cath yourself repeatedly making eye contact with someone? Now’s your chance. Alejandro Villavicencio, 23, met Jonathan Corona, also 23, through a friend in his Differential Equations class. His friend introduced him to her cousin when he came up to enroll in Santa Fe College.
“I was in need of a roommate and decided to ask him. After signing a lease together, we became best friends. Living together, we got to know each other very well and started trusting each other with our lives,” Villavicencio said.
While their relationship was complicated for a while, the two have been together for over three years.
“Asking him to be my roommate was the best decision I ever made.”
Even if the topic of your messages skirts around homework at first, it leaves plenty of room for growth. The other upside is that person might share the same major as you, so you may see that cutie in another class in the future. Exposure is half the battle when it comes to relationships. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from The Bachelor, it’s that creating that one-on-one time means everything. At the very least, you could make a new friend.
8. Take Your Best Friend On the Hunt for Your Best Partner
Nothing says “I am a dog person” like the dog park. Not only does it create an excuse to get your pup out of the house, but it also guarantees a way to meet someone who obsesses with dogs as much as you do. My suggestion: bring along some dog treats and offer them to the dog of the person you have your eye on. You’re already like-minded dog people. One, you’ll be a hero spreading love to dogs. Two, it serves as a great conversation starter. The two of you will leave with your furry children and full hearts in no time.
7. Picking Up a New Hobby and a New BAE
Let me tell you the best modern love story I heard in a long time. As I searched for the perfect pair of rollerblades to buy on Amazon, I found one particular review that brought joy to my heart. In a nutshell, a woman bought rollerblades and found a man from her church who taught her how to rollerblade. The activity brought them together, and the man took her out for lunch and dinner. According to her review, things are going great.
Lesson of the story? Find a new hobby, then get someone you’re interested in to teach you. Maybe you’ll discover your next partner in the person who teaches you how to rollerblade around your college campus. This will keep you off those pesky dating sites too. Love blooms in new places. Maybe I’ll come across your love story on Amazon next.
6. Trust Your Friends and Go on That Blind Date
Some of my family members, like my grandparents, found each other through blind dates. I understand the hesitation at first, but it seems like there are some real possibilities. In the case of my great aunt, she went out on a date with her girlfriends and met my great uncle. A week later, when the same group tried to go back out, he refused to go if she wasn’t going to be there. My grandparents share a similar story. They say lightning doesn’t strike twice, but both couples ended up married with kids for several decades.
Rueben Toledo-Diaz, 21, met his girlfriend through a mutual friend as well.
“We met at a game night she had over at her apartment and we hit it off. I got her number and we started talking every day. We both liked each other, and the rest is history,” Toledo-Diaz said.
A classic American-dream love story. Next time your friends try to drag you out and set you up, leave that Netflix show behind and see if this stranger could be the love of your life.
5. Pack the Sunscreen and Hit the Sand
With the sun touching your skin and the wind blowing your hair, now’s the time to strike a conversation with the hot single women or men that put their towels down next to yours. You could offer them some sunscreen, a game of football, or a walk along the ocean. The entire thing could pay homage to 90210 if you plan it right. Not only will you glow from the sun, but the flirtation that will ensue will keep your cheeks blazing.
4. Maybe You’ve Been Praying for The One, and I Know Where You Can Start Looking
If you are looking for someone who shares your faith, try searching at your churches or temples for your perfect partner. Religious groups often host numerous events like Bible studies, theology conversations, meet-and-greets, and other community events. Meeting someone within your religious community could benefit your love life if you want your faith to build the foundation of the relationship. To discover a match made in heaven (literally), see if your college offers any student organizations associated with your beliefs.
3. Listen to Your Heart
In a conversation with my hairdresser, Ashley Love (no I am not making that up), I found out that she met her partner during a karaoke competition 12 years ago. He judged for the competition, and she ended up winning second place. The two have been together ever since. Moral of the story: maybe The Bachelor touched on something when they released the “Listen to Your Heart” season, and maybe we should all sing a bit more often. Try visiting a karaoke bar in your college town to possibly find your soulmate. It might feel a little old school but isn’t that the point?
2. Support Your Passion and Find Someone to be Passionate About
Do you feel passionate about feeding the homeless? Helping out at animal shelters? Raising money for breast cancer research? You could meet someone you’re passionate about while helping out at some of your favorite organizations and supporting important causes. Try spearheading the sign-in center for volunteer events; a great icebreaker too.
By helping to sign everyone in, you can catch the name of the individual who already caught your eye. Plus, it presents an excellent opportunity to ask them why they decided to help out and how they grew their passion for the organization or charity. At the end of the day, you can leave feeling good about the work you’ve done and the love connection you made.
1. After a Long Day of Work, Go Back for More
You know those work parties that seem to always happen after hours and fall on the days when you’re most tired? Instead of excusing yourself to stay home with a bottle of wine and Keeping up with the Kardashians, get up and go to the party. Yes, you saw some of your coworkers a few hours ago, but people act different when they’re not working for a paycheck. Take this opportunity to know that person who works in the desk over or in a different department. You can exchange jokes about the boss, and at the very least you can find someone to start a carpool with. Who knows, your significant other might have been working alongside you all this time.
