For single students everywhere Valentine’s probably feels like one of the worst days of the year. Here’s why they’re actually better off.
Picture the scene: you’re stuck in your student flat on Valentine’s Day. All of your flatmates are either off out with the love of their life (who they’ve known for three whole weeks) or have gone home to visit the boring boyfriend they’ve had since year 9. Trust me, I get it, it’s awful – I’ve even escaped back to my parent’s house to avoid the cringe fest. But we can mock it until we’re blue in the face, the truth is Valentine’s (in all it’s chocolate heart-ed, commercialised glory) has the capability to seriously get us down. But, all is not lost. Being single on Valentine’s Day ( and in general) might actually be a good thing.
There are considerably less distractions.
You don’t need me to tell you that getting a degree is hard. There really are barely enough hours in the day to do everything that you need to, as it is. Being in a relationship doesn’t just distract you from all those things, it makes you want to be distracted. Who’s going to pick being smart and catching up on coursework over spending a weekend away with bae? (I visibly shuddered at the word).
Really though, being single at University means you get to prioritise what you’re actually at University for. Your degree really is so much more important than someone you’re probably going to hate in a year’s time anyway- being single might feel tough, but in the long run you’ll thank yourself.
Single people get to be totally selfish with their time
Admit it or not, we all know how frustrating sharing your time with someone else can be. Yes, they’re fantastic but you wish they’d stop shouting at you when you fall asleep and forget to text back. Yes, they’re great and wonderful but could they please just decide where they want to eat dinner? You’re probably no older than your early twenties. You should be able to fall asleep whenever you like, and you should be able to order Chinese food every night of the week if you feel like it.
Okay, so, petty example. But it’s true that people in relationships tend to have to compromise on a lot (not just on choice of restaurant). Single people, on the other hand, are blissfully free of this problem. They can do pretty much what they want, when they want to do it. No one getting annoyed when you don’t text them ‘Good morning,’ no one telling you you can’t go out with your friends because they haven’t seen you enough this week. Being single means you can be completely selfish with your time- and why not? It is yours.
More time for your friends
At some point, we’ve all lost a friend to a relationship, whether it’s that one mate who stopped going out because his girlfriend didn’t like him staying out late, or your best friend who now only texts you when she’s fallen out with her boyfriend and has no one else to talk to. I’m not saying you should go out and ditch all your friends in relationships, because this isn’t always the case. But being single (and having single friends) means you don’t really have this problem.
Single people have the luxury of spending just as much time as they want with their friends, and when you graduate they’ll be the ones standing next to you. Not whoever it was you fancied for five minutes in the first week.
Yes, Valentine’s is pretty ridiculous (I’m fairly certain that even people in relationships secretly hate it) but feeling down in the wake of all the over-priced flowers and and cheesy cards is pretty common. Just remember that being single is okay, and that you should make the most of it. One day you’re going to be tied down to someone who chews too loudly or has horrible music taste or terrible parents… all because you’ve decided you love them. So make the most of your time whilst it’s all yours.