Buzz
Dating can be a blend of awkwardness, sweetness, and challenges—sometimes all at once. However, rest assured, we’ve gathered plenty of advice to help you navigate the dating world and enhance your romantic experiences.
10. Embrace the World of Online Dating
While many remain hesitant about online dating, these FAQs can dispel common myths and encourage you to give it a shot. Once you’re ready, explore our top five online dating platforms and our comprehensive guide to various services to find the best fit for you. Whether online or offline, dating can be time-consuming, but with the right approach, you can manage it even with a hectic schedule.
9. Upgrade Your Online Dating Profile Picture
Your profile picture does more than just highlight your appearance—it can also convey key aspects of your personality, especially if it features you engaged in activities or with your pets. Explore these suggestions for creating impactful profile photos, but remember, a photo doesn’t need to be “flawless” to be effective. A natural, relatable image often feels more inviting than a highly polished one.
8. Discover New Dating Opportunities in the Right Locations
Meeting new people, let alone potential partners or lifelong friends, becomes increasingly challenging after college. Even if you’re active on dating apps, it’s still beneficial to step out into the real world—visit places where you’re likely to encounter like-minded individuals and boost your chances of finding a connection. Here are some ideas for where to meet new people offline (beyond the typical bar scene).
7. Identify Your Non-Negotiables in a Partner
Everyone has certain traits they absolutely cannot tolerate in a partner. Start by listing five realistic deal breakers (such as substance abuse or a lack of ambition) to save yourself valuable time. Three common habits—related to punctuality, cleanliness, and spending—often top the list of deal breakers. Stay grounded when setting standards for yourself and potential partners. As you grow older or reenter the dating world, your deal breakers might evolve to include desiring or not wanting children or even simpler criteria like “must have a bed frame.”
6. Learn More About Your Date Before Meeting Them
While we’re not suggesting you go full-on internet detective, a bit of online research can help you screen your potential date and ensure your safety when meeting someone you’ve only connected with online. Tools like people directories or public records can help confirm that the person is genuine and matches their online profile.
5. Prepare for a Memorable First (and Subsequent) Date
First dates are all about making a stellar impression. Focus on the essentials—dressing well, showing politeness, actively listening, and using effective communication skills—to set the right tone. For deeper insights, explore our science-backed guide to acing first dates, which covers tips like asking bold questions and being mindful of body language. Even if the first date doesn’t go as planned, don’t stress; we’ve all faced awkward starts, and many successful relationships have emerged from less-than-perfect beginnings.
Regardless of how experienced you are with dating, you can make every date night special by preparing unique meals, organizing unforgettable outings, engaging in activities that spark meaningful conversations (like taking a class or hiking together), or even planning double dates.
4. Keep Your Phone Away During Dates
This tip ties into improving communication and having better dates, but it’s important enough to stand alone. Your connection with your date will strengthen when you focus entirely on them and only check your phone in private. It’s frustrating when people can’t resist glancing at their phones during conversations, but we might be guilty of it too without noticing. Try silencing your phone notifications during dates. Not only will this help you stay present, but you might even receive quicker service at restaurants.
3. Simplify Tough Dating Choices by Understanding the Stakes
Navigating long-distance relationships, dating a colleague, or deciding whether to move in together or accept or decline a marriage proposal are some of the complex challenges you might face in your romantic life. These significant decisions require careful thought before taking the plunge. If you’re unsure, these four strategies can guide you toward a more rational choice, though sometimes it’s best to trust your instincts.
2. Recognize When It’s Time to End a Relationship
Every couple faces bumps in their relationship, often due to miscommunication. While you can mend things after a big argument by addressing the problem directly and taking a breather, continuous emotional pain might signal it’s time to end the relationship. Breakups are tough, and the emotional toll can linger, but sometimes moving forward is the best choice. (Change your ringtone and remove reminders of your ex from your digital life to speed up the healing process.) While some people manage to stay friendly with their ex, it’s perfectly fine if that’s not an option for you.
1. Determine Long-Term Compatibility with Your Partner
As a relationship grows more serious, you might start questioning if your partner is truly The One, allowing you to settle down. Ask three key questions—about horror movies, travel preferences, and living on a sailboat—to better assess compatibility, based on insights from OKCupid. It’s also crucial to determine if you’re sexually compatible or if differences in this area are deal breakers. Long-term commitments and marriage require effort, but so does dating. Often, it’s the small gestures that sustain relationships. Interestingly, there’s even a mathematical formula for deciding whom to marry! (Though love, of course, isn’t about rigid calculations.)
Bonus: Seek Advice from Dr. Nerdlove
Harris O’Malley, the dating “doctor,” frequently shares insights on Kotaku for tackling tricky or uncomfortable dating dilemmas, like navigating casual relationships, dealing with a partner who’s a bad kisser, or escaping the friend zone. Beyond Kotaku, you can find more tips on his blog and podcast.
Title image by Tina Mailhot-Roberge. Photos by Lasse Kristensen (Shutterstock), Ed Yourdon, Paul Iddon, madmolecule, Venimo (Shutterstock), keren-seg (Shutterstock), karen roach and EMIL AZIATIK, Ed Yourdon, Lars Wichert, madmolecule.
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