Dating Life

Before I came to Oberlin, I was very concerned about dating in college.

It wasn’t like I dated a lot in high school. I had one boyfriend; we dated for three months. I had crushes, but when it came to the first hangout, I lost interest. The spark died.

It was confusing, then, why I felt strongly about dating in college. In fact, I felt so strongly that when I visited colleges, among ranking them on their libraries and mascots, I ranked the attractiveness of the students I saw on tour. Oberlin got a firm 7 out of 10––“some hot academic guys but a LOT of nerds but it’s fine.”

Well, I can assure you four years later that dating at Oberlin is not only possible––but it can be successful. As Aries so eloquently put it, “I’ve found that 2,800 young, attractive, intelligent, passionate people makes a good pool to find a certain someone.”

Dating at Oberlin is variable. Maybe you start as friends. Or you see them across the Feve, and they make their way to you, beer in hand. You hang around after a jazz concert, and when driving their equipment home, they ask if you want to get in the car. Your friend sets you up. You meet them at an ExCo. You match on Tinder, and then you see them on your walk back to your dorm. You start talking.

Since I came to Oberlin, I've dated someone every semester. I can tell you, dating at Oberlin is possible for anyone.

But you shouldn’t believe me. Believe my friends in wonderful Oberlin relationships.

Will & Katie

Will is my friend from Computer Science. Katie runs Running Club (haha). I see them walking around campus, laughing to each other, or at the Feve, hanging out with each other’s friends.

“We met outside on south quad in September 2023, but we only started dating after we met again at a party in March later that year. Katie came up to me, and we started talking, and then going out. We’ve been together ever since :).”

Ethan & Sophia

Ethan is my friend from my first year at Oberlin. Sophia graduated last semester. He visits her on breaks. They make me sick.

“We met in an Introduction to Statistics class, Fall of 2023, as members of group 'ate.' [This is a pun on being members of group eight.] We met again in September 2024 at a Tank party and held hands to escape the party being shut down. Our first date was at Thi Ni Thai.

“However, Sophia wants me to tell you that our story has much more romantic depth than a paragraph allows.”

Aahil & Ava

Aahil is also my friend from first year. He’s an Economics major, really smart and kind beyond measure. At the end of this year, he’s moving to San Francisco to join an awesome company and be with Ava.

“Ava and I met at one of Oberlin’s YeoFit spin classes. We both tended to arrive a little early, and as we got to know each other, we decided to turn those pre-class chats into a coffee date. Almost a year later, we still joke that spin class turned out to be a pretty great place to meet.”

It’s spring in Oberlin now, somehow chilly and sunny at the same time. Students kick a soccer ball across the lawn. On St. Patrick’s Day last week, dozens of students crowded in the Feve. A math professor brought in their golden retriever, and I sat inside a random office in King Hall, petting their dog for fifteen minutes before class.

There’s this sense of human connection at Oberlin. It never fades. Even when it feels lonely, there are always students here looking for that connection––running student clubs, playing pool at the ‘Sco, or eating on the lawn outside of a co-op. 

Maybe you’re a fourth-year. You’ve never dated here. Well, Aahil and Ava met two weeks before graduation––and soon he’s moving halfway across the country to be with her. Love persists no matter time nor distance. It catches you when you least expect it––walking across North Quad, dodging frisbees. Drinking a cider at the Feve. Sitting at jazz forum, waiting for the band to begin. Even spin class. (: