Dating

[abanky]

anyone else in the same boat as I am? I have never really had a date. When I say dated, I mean the kind where you meet a girl, go out to dinner and talk and maybe you call her a couple of days later and go out on another. I have had girlfriends, but I always got them through hanging out with friends and they were friends of friends, I never had to take them to court them. we would meet and within the first or second time type we hung out with groups of friends, we would just be an item. I am just wondering how does dating after college go? what should I do or expect? I am not shy about approaching a girl so that is not a problem, it is just trying to set up meetings.

[drifter]

I have been on a few dates. They are awkward!

If you are single it is worth it because after 3 or 4 weeks you become comfortable with the person and get past the initial weirdness.
If you go on one date and it is a disaster, well, at least you have something to laugh about with your friends in years to come!

Usually, I have to have been talking to them for at least an evening or over lunch before I would say yes or ask 'em out myself.
I dont think its a good idea to date a random person in a bar (but that is just me).

Most dates I have been on are disasters but funny at least and you just both look at eachother at the end and go "so I might call you" and the other person is like thinking to themselves "yeah right" and that is the end of it.

Its a way to meet people as long as you go not really expecting it to work out but thinking 1) its a chance to see what you like and DONT like in a guy/girl, 2) its a chance to meet someone and have a fun night 3) if nothing else its a good laugh the next day.

[Antonina]

I always try to go on dates as casually (as is possible when you are actually really keen on them!) as I can and pretend that I am just hanging out with a new friend. Which is probably what it should be, because I guess if you are going to date and potentially end up going out with them, you'd want to be able to be friends as well! By treating it as a date, you can freak out and start being completely unlike what you are normally and you can jeopardise the chances of showing this person you like who you really are.