Why it doesn’t matter if you get a box of Milk Tray and dinner in The Campus Kitchen this Valentines…

Obvious, yes, but DO be romantic

It used to be about sending long, handwritten, letters to express our love and desire. Nowadays, Valentine’s Day usually just means a box of Milk Tray and a pat on the back.

Some would say romance is dead and that you may as well just give into the materialism that comes with Feb 14. The pressures of the day are increased by commercial culture, making Valentine’s Day about the ‘what did you two get each other’ rather than ‘what do you two have together?’. But If there’s one day in the year when you’re allowed to be romantic without your friends screaming ‘beep di di beep beep’ at you, it’s V day.

Jay Cartwright: ruining romantic thoughts since 2008.

DON’T over-analyse

The more sensitive among us tend to analyse every utterance and gesture from our girlfriend/boyfriend to decipher hidden meanings (‘The boyf got me a Tamagotchi, he can’t commit!’).

However, it’s important to not take a rubbish gift personally. Just because your partner gives you something cheap or generic, doesn’t mean that they view your relationship as being worth the same. If anything, it says more about their bank balance. Valentine’s Day expectations and a student budget often just don’t mix.

Some people like rainbow socks…

Before we get swept away in the sickly sweet wave of yummy chocolates and sentimental cards, think about what matters. It’s about who you have taken a liking to/fallen in love with. That person would much prefer your undivided attention and a bit of alone time to generic messages and teddy bears with googly eyes. They want you. (That said, an Ipad may also do the trick!)

Just no.

DO treat V Day as a bit of fun

It’s all too easy to apathetically surround yourself in the pinky-red hue of Clinton’s decorations. But if you let it, Valentine’s Day can become something magical (unless you are unhappily single and barricade yourself in your room while violently sobbing to Aerosmith).

There’s no need to let your cynicism detract from kind of fun that can come with the most romantic day of the year (think of the lingerie gentlemen, the lingerie!). Being in love matters. A teddy bear just takes up vital drawer space.

DON’T get stressed 

Many of us fantasise about having the perfect Valentine’s Day where we’re showered with love and affection from our besotted lover. However, we must keep things in perspective. If you do end up with a romantic meal for two at the Campus Kitchen because of time/money restraints, just remember there will be other opportunities to do something special in the future when funds are less scarce.

No matter how uncaring and thick skinned we claim to be, we all want to be desired, loved and accepted. There are Valentine’s cards dating back to 1415. We’ll never stop sending them, unless there comes a time when it’s more appropriate to stride up to someone sexy and tell them that we would bludgeon a baby seal just to look at their face.

I guess we are a sentimental bunch, after all.