Ten dating tips this Notts cuffing season

The nights are drawing in, the temperatures are cooling down, and cuffing season is upon us. Many of us will be looking for someone to snuggle under a cosy blanket with this winter, in front of a cheesy Christmas film. Being single has its perks but it’s about time you found the love you’ve been looking for.

That being said, dating is by no means an easy field to navigate. A lot of us are scared by the prospect, and so here are 10 easy tips to find and keep a bae this cuffing season.

1) Date yourself first

I know its cliche but if you don’t love yourself how are you going to love somebody else? Take the time to learn about yourself – if you don’t know what you like, want and need, it’ll be much harder to communicate your thoughts and feelings to someone else.

You can do this by taking yourself on dates or just generally spending time alone, getting to know yourself. Talking with your friends about relationships is also a great place to start too – sometimes it’s a great way to figure out what it is you’re looking for. Whichever way you do it, make sure you know, and love, yourself before you start looking for someone else to do the same.

2) For goodness sake, please don’t commit flatcest

Of all the people in Notts, why do you have to go for your housemate? I know the fact it’s “forbidden” is sexy, but it rarely ends well. If you break up it’d be painfully awkward for the both of you every time you go into the kitchen. Anyway, even if it does work out, it’d be horrible for everyone else – living with a couple is never fun. Moral of the story is flatcest is never worth it, seriously.

3) Improve your online dating profiles

In order to have a successful online dating profile, make sure your photos are varied – you want to capture someone’s attention and show them your personality. Although I’m sure you look lovely in all of those cute photos with your friends, just make sure your profile makes it clear what you look like. Try not to use photos which are very heavily filtered either, no one wants an accidental catfish situation. You also can’t go wrong with a good pet photo in the mix too.

Now you’ve sorted the photos, it’s on to the bio and prompts. It can be tricky to get this exactly right, but I’d recommend sitting and thinking about what you want to convey through your words, just make sure it’s honest – do you really need to lie? We know you’re not six-foot. Whatever you want to put, don’t make it too long and don’t think too hard – give them a sneak peek at your shining personality! Oh, and if you’re on Hinge, please don’t use the voice-note option as an opportunity to Rick Roll people – be slightly more original than that.

4) Download more/different dating apps

Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, Grindr, Match… the list seems to be ever-growing. From what I hear, Tinder, Grindr and Hinge are the most popular among students and young people. The difference between the three being that Hinge generally attracts more people looking for a relationship, whereas Tinder is used more for hook-ups, and Grindr is exclusively for men seeking men.

Trying a few different apps, or even using multiple at the same time, is a good way to help you figure out what you want not only from a dating app, but also a potential partner.

5) Come up with some good opening lines

One big problem with dating apps is the number of dead conversations that start because of it. “Wyd?” and “Nm, you?”are some prime examples. Yawn. If you want to avoid this, come up with some good opening lines, especially if you reference something in their profile. This is also another opportunity to see if your sense of humour aligns with theirs – opening with a joke or pun is a risk, but if it pays off could be really great.

If you’re a little shy, opening with a simple “Hey 🙂 x” can never go amiss – just be prepared for the boring conversation that will follow.

6) Go to societies – meet similar people to yourself

Dating apps are not the only way to meet someone, many people meet their significant others through a shared hobby or interest. Not only is this a great conversation starter, but also gives you the opportunity to bond over your mutual interests. Joining societies and going to socials is a great way to meet other people similar to yourself, maybe even someone you may share a spark with – UoN even has its own matchmaking society. It’s cliche but you really do need to put yourself out there!

7) Don’t ignore red flags

Once you have met someone you vibe with, don’t go colourblind! Try your best not to ignore red (or yellow) flags that pop up.Pay special attention to the way they talk about and treat others; it tells a lot about how they might talk about and treat you. If they’re always talking about their “psycho” ex – or even worse, are “best friends” with their ex, run. I mean, do you really have time to be competing for someone’s attention? No. If in doubt, talk to someone about their behaviour because the last thing you want this cuffing season is to be crying on the kitchen floor over someone who doesn’t give you the time of day!

8) That being said, try n0t to read into anything too much

Not everything is a red flag. Labelling so many things as red flags will leave you with no one left to talk to – we all have our issues. If someone is taking a while to reply, don’t always assume they’re not interested, they may actually be busy. Giving people the benefit of the doubt is healthy and allows for more realistic expectations of others.

9) Plan cute dates

Notts is filled with fun places to take your date this winter. For example, ice skating at the National Ice Centre or pottery painting at Pot N Kettle in Beeston. There’s always the Nottingham Winter Wonderland Christmas market. Nottingham is also home to some great sporting venues – so if sports are your thing, there are lots of options there. And if you’re looking for somewhere more low-key, Notts is also home to plenty of cafes, restaurants and cocktail bars.

10) Set clear boundaries and have open and honest conversations

However casual your relationship, boundaries and expectations need to be set. How often are you going to see each other? How many TikToks is an acceptable amount to send them in one day? In order to make a relationship work whilst studying, being open and honest about your wants, needs and feelings is key. Just remember, if worse comes to worst, hot girl summer is just around the corner.

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