7 Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day on a College Campus

Valentine pic

You're about to get annoyed at the cold when you heard a student humming a love song. February is around the corner, so it won't be long when Valentine's in the air. You're contentedly single, yet you must go with the flow. You don't need to be grumpy about it, though.

You have read novels that would espouse romance, even seen movies that could make anyone believe that spring fever is more than a once-a-year occurrence. You have friends, all Film majors, who cringe at Arthur Hiller's "Love Story", and you tried to conceal your bemusement at their snotty reaction to this Oscar-nominated film. (It's possible for an Ivy League student to fall for someone from Radcliffe College. You could only wish for a climax as dramatic as Charles Webb's "The Graduate", but you may be mistaken. You could be thinking of Dustin Hoffman's Benjamin Braddock.) Your sister, on the other hand, is fuming about the turn of events in Jacob Portman's life (in "The Conference of the Birds"). He may have realized that his affair with Emma was purely Victorian and his thing with Noor was something else, but their happiness turned out to be short-lived. (It might have something to do with Dorothy.) And then there were the (Twitter) posts. You might be inclined to question the validity of a picture of a college senior proposing to his girlfriend, but you can't get bothered about it. Then again, these images would make you forget about the course work pressure. It would make you go back to the question that you've been wondering since last year. Must you celebrate Valentine's Day? Anything that could distract you from the coursework would be good.

Keep in mind that it would be hard to think of hook sentences, but not narrative story ideas. (You're dying to share your previous summer experience to your tutor until you fear that it would be trivial compared to Boris Pasternak's romantic saga.) Then again, it wouldn't hurt to contend with these visceral feelings for a day, if not the entire month of February. And you don't have to think about comic books (or the emancipation of Harley Quinn after splitting from the Joker).

You're Not Made of Money: Let Me Show the Way

Get out. February might be the best time to go out for a walk, as it would be the latter stage of winter. Your parents have noticed that it's a warm winter, which you can't help but agree. You may like the snow melting, but the sight of (teenage) couples showing public display of affection would make you uncomfortable. It happens once a year. It would happen to you sooner or later. (Call it a tender trap.) And these affectionate gestures should make you smile. College life isn't oppressive as your roommate thinks of. Make sure that it would dawn (or dusk), as sunrise (or sunset) would be a perfect moment. 

Watch Netflix shows in your room. You may not fancy the affectionate gestures and the wintry cold, which is fine. You can indulge in Netflix, HBO, BBC One, and what other streaming services offer to the likes of you. It's hard to imagine Count Dracula as the Gothic counterpart of James Bond, but you're thrilled about shows like "Luna Nera". Didn't you get enough of Romeo and Juliet?

Eat in the hole-in-the-wall restaurant. No one likes to dine alone, but you can invite your roomie, if not course mate, for this different experience. (And you would promise assistance on the next assignment.) The ambiance might be far from that iconic scene from "Lady and the Tramp", but you don't want to be miserable. You also don't want to get jealous of other students planning their date nights.

Attend a (free) college activity. If theater is not your cup of tea, then you might have to wait for someone in the hall, who turns out to be a huge fan of Celine Dion's songs.

Go to a party theme. You have turned down countless invitations to a party. You must not miss this one, even if you found yourself in the corner of the (dancing) room. You could meet someone, who is all by his (or her) lonesome. There's no pressure on your part. It may remind you of your other friend, who remembers every lovable scene in “Marty” and “Goodbye Girl”. You can also try to tell this someone how you think in a different language. Be careful about expressing how you feel (in a different language).

If there's no one around, treat yourself. Keep in mind that you're on a (campus) budget, so think twice about buying something that you don't really need at the moment (or next week). If you choose Netflix, then binge-watching would be suited to it. Don't hesitate to purchase chips and cans of soda (or beer). If it's a pizza, then make sure that the hearts are made of pepperonis. You can sweat if off the following day.

Order a bunch of flowers and send it to your mother. It's the least that you can do.

Read a Book

If not one of the above appeals to you, reading would be the next best thing to do. Spring is around the corner. You have been told about the avalanche of essays and examinations.

 

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