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I Don't Need A Boyfriend To Make Me Happy

It is the 21st century after all

Francesca Roan

Jan 30, 2019

University of Dayton

819

I Don't Need A Boyfriend To Make Me Happy

https://pixabay.com/en/love-romantic-casal-kiss-1612464/

"So, do you have a boyfriend yet?" It is the question everyone has been asking me lately—my friends, coworkers, and distant family members. I force myself to put a smile on my face and sweetly reply, "No. Not yet." What I don't tell them is between studying for the LSAT, taking difficult college classes (because when are they ever easy?), volunteering, securing internships, hanging with friends, and trying to take care of myself when do I have the time for a boyfriend?

Oddly, when I first started dating my parents were chill about it. There were no interrogations. No background checks. Nothing. It was everybody else that seemed to have a problem with whoever I was dating. My coworkers analyzed everything I told them—freely sharing their own dating experiences in the process. My Uncle Mark peppered me with questions when he first found out I had a boyfriend. Who is he? What does he do for a living? What are his goals in life? How old is he?

While some of my family members decided to take the protective approach, my grandparents decided to take a different route. They were super excited—ecstatic even—that I finally entered the dating world. One of my grandparents even joked about wedding bells being in my not so distant future (please God no).

So when the news of my breakup reached the ears of my grandparents, I'm sure you can just imagine their disappointment. I remember telling them the news over the telephone one afternoon. The other end of the line went silent for a moment before I heard a very disheartened, disappointed, "Oh." Which was soon after followed by, "You're going to put yourself back out there though right?"

In that instant, I knew. I knew that while my grandmother wanted me to be happy—she also wanted me to be happy with a guy. What she didn't seem to understand, and which I didn't bother explaining to her, is that I can be happy without a boyfriend in my life. One is not necessarily dependent on the other.

So to everyone who is asking me, no I don't have a boyfriend yet. But I'll let you know when the right guy comes along.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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I Don't Need A Boyfriend To Make Me Happy

It is the 21st century after all

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No one best represents the struggle like our favorite 90s squad.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

2. When there is only one section of a popular course.

3. Receiving the 18,000 emails reminding you to register ASAP.

4. When you need to see an advisor, but they are too busy/unresponsive.

5. Trying not to dress like a bum for your appointments with your advisors/department heads.

6. When you have a perfectly planned out schedule, and one class ruins it.

7. Carefully moving things around to accommodate a different class/section.

8. Waking up at 6:00 a.m. for your enrollment time.

9. Concocting a new schedule at your enrollment time after your original plan gets changed.

10. Getting into a class and filling the last available seat.

11. When all of your classes finally go through.

12. Realizing that you forgot a class that was a pre-requisite for everything else.

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

"Nobody living in one of the most influential nations in the world should be worried about making ends meet."

What is the current minimum wage at the federal level?

What are the benefits of raising the minimum wage?

What are the states that have set a $15/hour minimum wage?

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Because who understands your bitterness better than April?

1. When you have to provide an "interesting fact" for your first day ice-breaker.

2. When your professor is babbling on and on in his lecture.

3. When you edit your friend's paper and they get an A.

4. When it's 2 AM and you remember you have a test tomorrow.

5. When you finish taking the test and you're pretty sure you failed...

6. ...but then you get the test back and somehow passed.

7. When you've been up for 12 hours straight writing a paper.

8. And then you manage to stay awake in class the next day.

9. When you have to butter up your professor for an extra credit opportunity.

10. When you're assigned a group project.

11. And your group-mates are trying to chat about life instead of the assignment.

12. When it's your last class of the day and you're about to go home.

13. But then you remember rent is due tonight and the anger comes back.

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