Spring semester has begun, and that means a new chance to ace your classes and make new friends… or even find a new romance? And what better time to start a new romance than Valentine’s Day? While that sounds like a great idea, in reality, finding a partner is not that simple, especially during college. If you’re like me and dreading having to see all your friends who are coupled up go out to dinner and post, “You’re the best part of me,” and, “Love you more than words,” here are a few tips on how to make it through Valentine’s Day and have a good time while doing it!
First of all, the best thing to do if you really don’t want to see relationships flood your feed is to unplug for the day. Look, I also love scrolling through TikTok and seeing what picture my best friend chooses to bless the internet with today, but there’s no hiding from the couples that are so in love they can’t help but post at least 10 stories and three feed posts about their loved ones. Hence, the best thing to do is limit your use of social media for the day.
Now that you’re safe from the “love flood,” we can move on to phase two of single Valentine’s Day. What you do here depends on whether you want to go out or stay in for the day. For those who would rather stay inside, there are a multitude of things to do.
If you want to make the best of a day inside, it is time for that pile of laundry you’ve been ignoring to get cleaned! The mess your dorm has become because of your packed schedule? ‘Tis the day to be organized! If you have already done all the spring cleaning possible, there is always that movie you’ve been meaning to watch or that TV show you have barely made a dent in.
If being inside by yourself is not appealing at all, call up the friends who have no plans and make a night out of it. A couple of fun group activities include: a Marvel movie marathon in anticipation of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” cooking a home meal (or attempting to) or even just getting together solely to do homework. Being alone together is a great way to get your mind out of the Valentine’s furor.
For those that feel like staying inside is not the right move for the day, Columbia has a lot of events that single people — not just couples — can do. For instance, Cooper’s Ridge is hosting Galentine’s Day on Feb. 12, where you and your girls can go to a “paint and sip” pajama party with food, drinks, desserts, giveaways and more! If that’s not for you, there’s also the Rocheport Chocolate Crawl also on Feb. 12, where 13 different vendors will offer chocolate snacks and drinks. Finally, another great way to spend Valentine’s Day can be by giving back and spreading love. In Columbia, there are several places where one can volunteer such as The Center Project, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, the Columbia Art League and more!
“I want to go out but don’t want to leave campus.” No problem! MU has a lot of activities going on around campus — some that could be interesting for Valentine’s Day are: Valentine’s Day Cards For Seniors on Feb. 6 and a Valentine’s Day Popcorn Fundraiser hosted by NABJ on Feb. 7. Additional activities include Valentine’s Day Ball on Feb. 11, candy grams on Feb. 13 and Sprinkle Some Love on Feb. 14.
No matter your mood in these coming weeks, the important thing to remember is that you are not alone and that spending time with yourself is sometimes better than spending with a partner. Overall, what all this boils down to is to love yourself and be your own valentine. Happy Valentine’s Day, Tigers!
