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As a college grad, seeing the words “college” and “dating” together in one sentence almost seems like an oxymoron. The [sad] truth is that in a college environment, traditional dating is very far from the norm. As we all know, dating culture in college = hooking up. There are still plenty of romantic hopefuls, though, who prefer to tread the traditional waters. Whether in college or not, everyone could always use a little guidance when it comes to the dating game. (And now that the new school year is quickly approaching, I’m sure a few of you undergrads are getting the jitters about picking up the pace again with that college boyfriend of yours!)

So in light of these back to school jitters, I present to you the 1o Commandments of College Dating… Read More »

I fail to see anything wrong with having sex on the first date.

This flies in the face of conventional dating wisdom. Apparently, first date sex is so much more than “I think you’re sexually attractive and I would like to do it with you.” No, apparently boning on the first date means that you’re slutty, that you’re not interested in getting to know the other person, that it completely ruins any chance at a lasting relationship. I’m not sure where these ideas have come from, but they are definitely not universal truths. There are a lot of dynamics that come into play when sex and relationships are concerned, and most of them are completely socially constructed. If you go out with someone, and you have a delightful time, and the sparks are flying, and you end up naked and entangled in each other, that in and of itself does not doom your relationship.

What causes a relationship to either fail or succeed after this point is completely up the parties involved. If one or both people have absorbed the incredibly dysfunctional and reductive notion that there is a difference between people you date and people you f*ck, and never shall the two intersect, then of course having sex early on is not going to work out. It is a conscious choice to not consider someone you have sex with to not be dating material  There is that terrible phrase, “Why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free” that never ceases to make me cringe, but unfortunately, perfectly sums up a lot of people’s dating philosophy. But really, is sex really supposed to be the ultimate goal of a relationship? Isn’t a relationship supposed to be based on mutual respect, companionship, support, and encouragement, among many other things? Having sex with someone does not at all hinder the possibility of cultivating all of these things.

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Every relationship has its point where things begin to seem a bit…well…dull. When you first start dating, the excitement of getting to know someone new, trying new things and having new experiences is exhilarating and helps to keep the spark alive. But after a while when the “new” hype has died down, we look for other ways to spice things up in our relationship. Instantly we think, the bedroom! But spicing things up between you and your boyfriend doesn’t necessarily have to mean amping up your sex life. Staying connected is what’s most important, in whatever way possible.

Although I am all for keeping things hot in the bedroom, here are a few ways that you and your boyfriend can keep the relationship fresh by staying connected. Trying out at least a few of these tips will be sure to give your relationship the face lift its been needing.

initiating the gallery...

What are some ways you and your boyfriend stay connected? Share below!

[He Said/She Said is a series designed to help all our wonderfully confused readers figure out what he’s really thinking. So every week we’ll be throwing out a topic for debate…and unlike our fave dude, these guys won’t be sugar coating anything for you. But before you jump into their heads (which seriously will make you feel like you need to shower), check out what we think!]

I have a confession to make. And I’m not proud of it. In fact, on the list of things I’m most ashamed of, this one ranks higher than DVRing Jerseylicious (as in, setting up a series recording) and that semester when I didn’t wash my sheets once (even though I did have guests over…frequently).

So here goes.

[Breathes in heavily.]

I have a major weakness for boys who cock their hats off to the side at a 45 degree angle.

There. I said it.

But it’s not my fault. You have no idea how many guys like this exist at Michigan. They’re…everywhere. And while a lot of them might be majorly douchey, a lot of them are also really, really hot. What can I say? I like a guy with swagger. And confidence. And good jeans (because the tilted hat is always paired with a hot pair of Sevens…) Read More »

[He Said/She Said is a series designed to help all our wonderfully confused readers figure out what he’s really thinking. So every week we’ll be throwing out a topic for debate…and unlike our fave dude, these guys won’t be sugar coating anything for you. But before you jump into their heads (which seriously will make you feel like you need to shower), check out what we think!]

Whether you’re a guy or a girl, gay or straight, old or young, one of the most frustrating things about liking someone is not knowing if they like you back. Wait, no – that’s not totally right. The most frustrating thing is the amount of time wasted thinking/wondering/analyzing/wishing they like you and then playing games to make them show it.

I can honestly say that about 79% of my college career was spent wondering if the socially awkward Jewish boy who wasn’t cute in high school but came to college, learned how to do his hair and got a good pair of jeans I liked at the moment felt the same way about me. (For the record, the other 20% of the time was spent in an actual relationship where I knew the boy liked me, and the remaining 1% was spent planning for my future, considering a career path and “studying”…)

My mind was filled with thoughts like:

Does it mean he likes me if he texted me first?
And used an emoticon?
Left a witty message on my Facebook wall?
Spent the whole night talking to me at the bar?
Bought me a Natty Ice?
Asked me to stay over, then spent the evening doing pleasurable things to me until the morning light started peeking through the tapestry he had hanging over his window without getting ANY pleasure in return (what? You know I’m not a fan of it….), and then drove me home and kissed me goodbye only not to call or text for 4 whole days?

As you can imagine, it was exhausting, and I constantly found myself wondering, “Why can’t guys make it obvious when they’re not interested like we girls do?”

And then I realized: maybe we girls aren’t so clear either. Maybe guys don’t understand that me not sitting next to them in lecture means I don’t want to see them naked. Or that the fact that I’m not texting them back every 4 seconds means I’m not really feelin’ it. Read More »

Last week, my male friend over at COED Magazine shared his thoughts on how we ladies handle life after a break up. And let me just say, I haven’t LOLed that hard since the first time I watched this. (OMG. Just watched it again. HILARIOUS.)

It’s just so amusing to think about how little guys know about us (Note: I’m sure it was just as ROTFL-worthy for Paul when he read my thoughts on guys after a break-up); how they think we just bounce right back, better than ever, immediately following “the talk.” I mean, that’s not a bad thing. Their assumptions are way less disturbing (and pathetic) than the reality for most of us.

A reality which I’m about to lay out, in all it’s honest glory.

So let’s break down some walls and let it all hang out:

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[He Said/She Said is a series designed to help all our wonderfully confused readers figure out what he’s really thinking. So every week we’ll be throwing out a topic for debate…and unlike our fave dude, these guys won’t be sugar coating anything for you. But before you jump into their heads (which seriously will make you feel like you need to shower), check out what we think!]

The aftermath of my most recent break-up was all at once depressing and pathetic. Like, beyond the most depressing and pathetic Lifetime movie that you’ve ever seen. (And I can say that with certainty since I watched every single one on a particularly dark Saturday-somehow-turned-Monday-and-I-haven’t-left-my-bed-in-36-hours moment of darkness.) It was depressing because everything I did and saw and watched and thought about reminded me of him. Pathetic because I spent days on end crying over my computer as Dave Matthews blasted from the speakers, stalking his FB page and the FB pages of every single girl who showed up in his pics/commented on his Wall;  and constantly returned home from class or work or a run, certain he’d be waiting for me on my porch with a dozen hydrangeas in his arms and a sheepish “I’m so, so sorry” look on his face. (Did I mention I’d make excuses to leave the house just so I could come home and discover him there? Yeah, I blame it on all those Lifetime movies.) Read More »

[He Said/She Said is a series designed to help all our wonderfully confused readers figure out what he’s really thinking. So every week we’ll be throwing out a topic for debate…and unlike our fave dude, these guys won’t be sugar coating anything for you. But before you jump into their heads (which seriously will make you feel like you need to shower), check out what we think!]

When I dream about my perfect relationship, it always looks the same. My boyfriend is a Jewish Bradley Cooper look-alike with that sexy shaggy hair and the perfect blend of intelligence and wit. He’s constantly surprising me with over-the-top romantic gestures, from randomly bringing me chocolate chip granola pancakes in bed (“just because I love you”), to showing up at my house in the middle of the day because he “just had to see me.”

He’s always there when I need someone to lean on, but never around when I need an “eat cereal out of the box and watch 4 hours of ‘Say Yes to the Dress’” alone-time kinda night. He uses just the right amount of tongue when we’re kissing and always makes sure I’m satisfied between the sheets before he spoons me as we drift off to sleep.

And when we wake up, my hair has perfect waves, my breath is minty fresh and my eye makeup hasn’t slid down my face in a way that makes me look like Adam Lambert doing the walk of shame.

Yeah, I said it was a dream.
A very good (and sometimes naughty) dream.

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Hey Dude,

So I am a student at Arizona State; that right there says it all. They should put somewhere before going to ASU “Don’t fall in love at this school.” Anyways, a little over a month ago I made the mistake of falling for a boy. We flirted over Facebook, his roommate dates my best friend at school, and he invited me out with him and his guy friends one night. We both had way too much to drink and I was feeling a little too good about myself, and well, long story short, we slept together.

Here I am thinking that I finally have a guy that could possibly like me, or want to pursue something and I mess it up by sleeping with him right away. I am a short blonde girl with features that guys usually notice before they get to know me. I DID NOT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN THIS TIME! We talked a couple more times after that and he visited me at the bar I work at. We had a short lunch one day so I could give him some study guides for a class, then four days later I left to go back home to New Jersey for the summer. And him… Well, he went home too. To CANADA!

Now I can’t stop thinking about him! He asked me to take a class with him in the fall, and we are both living in the same condo complex in the fall as well. We haven’t talked in a long time and I really do not want to lose contact with him. Better yet, for him to continue thinking I am just a girl to have sex with. I am royally confused and have no clue what to do. I know he has no idea of my feelings but I would feel like a weirdo telling him that I can not get him off of my mind. I highly doubt he thinks about me too, but from time to time he continues to like things on my Facebook page. I have never been in a serious relationship and really want to hopefully have one soon. I don’t want to continue screwing things up with this guy so I need help. What in the world would you want the girl to do, if anything?

Sincerely,
Desperate Hopeless Romantic Chick Read More »