Back-to-school season means new classes, new environments, and new attractive people to meet. Sometimes, meeting attractive people may incite an urge to hook up with said people.
Being on a college campus requires particular care when deciding whether to hook up with someone. There are far fewer rules for most than there were in high school, but extra precautions must be taken with the extra freedom. Here are some tips to make the most out of your college hook-ups.
Think creatively
Time and space are limited resources at college, so utilize what you do have to your advantage. Share a room with someone who only takes morning classes? Arrange time for a brunch and chill session, even if the only thing which constitutes brunch in it is a stale Pop-Tart. Can’t find a space that works for everyone? Well, let’s just say some libraries on campus can be used for more than just studying. Have conflicting class schedules? Utilize effective ways to achieve universal satisfaction in minimal amounts of time.
Just please don’t put your roommate in sexile.
Agree on how you want to commit
It’s OK to be single and non-committed, especially when you’re new to an environment like college. Therefore, it is typically assumed hook-ups are not exclusive around campus. If you or your partner starts to feel differently about this fact, then a commitment conversation needs to follow. These conversations can also be normal check-ins in friends-with-benefits situations.
Only pursue classmates after the semester is over
There are about 30,000 undergraduates at UW, and I think everyone can agree that, unless your major is highly specialized, it is unlikely your classmates will carry over from course to course. Utilize this knowledge to your advantage if you start becoming interested in one of your classmates. While trying to stay focused in your discussion section may be difficult when you’re debating with the person you just made out with, it is much less of an issue when they are just a former classmate you see while crossing Park Street.
Be smart, be safe
The University Health Services’ “Get WISE” series should have covered this for most Wisconsin students, but safety is crucial when performing any sexual act, especially if it is with a new partner. Get an STI test down at East Campus Mall before pursuing a new partner. It is much less stressful and much more transparent than only testing afterward. While it might be hard to schedule an STI test by itself due to popularity, birth control consultations usually include the service and are much easier to schedule.
Make sure YOU want to do it
Relationships of any sort in college are entirely up to your discretion and your comfort — if you’re doing something, someone else likely already has. Conversely, plenty of students choose not to be a part of hook-up culture on campus with no ill effects. Do not allow someone else to decide if you should or shouldn’t do any romantic or sexual acts. Remember, consent is key.
Be fruitful and multiply (only in MATH 221)!
