The typical college lifestyle can make dating such a perplexing process for students.

Balancing late nights at the library as well as managing a new relationship can seem impossible. As Valentine’s Day quickly approaches, the seasonal feelings attached to this holiday might confuse your emotions even more. It can become very tricky to determine the seriousness of your fling.

To avoid this emotional stress, here are a few tips to determine if your fling is becoming something more.

Does your fling like to hang out in settings other than bars?

If your fling consists of only hanging out in settings like a bar or party, you are most likely not on the relationship track. A fling will start to transition into something more once you hang out in daytime settings. If your fling is asking you out to lunch, the movies or even just a study date at the library, your relationship might be becoming something more.

Has your fling introduced you to his/her friends?

Meeting your fling’s friends is a huge step in the right direction. It’s always a good sign if your fling is not embarrassed or hesitant to introduce you to their friends. Meeting their friends can mean that your fling really does like you and wants you to feel a part of the friend group.

Does your fling ask you on dates?

Regardless of how many times a night your fling is texting you, they still need to be showing you off in public. Going out on dates together is the perfect telltale sign to see how much they like you. If your fling is constantly asking you out, it shows that they truly enjoy your company and want to show off how special you are to them.

Is your fling interested in learning about your personal life?

Flings often consist of a lot of small talk. Having more personal conversations about family or other aspects of your life can help in measuring the seriousness of your relationship. If your conversations have more depth than typical small talk, then your fling is probably on its way to becoming an official relationship. Is your fling open about his or her feelings for you? The most important tip of all in determining if your fling is becoming something more can be how vulnerable you are with each other.

Openly talking about your feelings for each other is the easiest way to know if you are ready to take your relationship to the next level. If you’re honest with each other from the start of your fling, great things are bound to come from it.

Jessica is a sophomore in Media.
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