College can be a tricky time in your life. It's your first time living away from your family. You have to adjust to a whole new way of living, whether it's in a dorm, the Greek system, or an apartment. You have to cook and clean up after yourself. On top of all of that, there's all of the stress of taking college-level classes, some of which seem to set you up to fail.

Now, if that doesn't sound stressful, imagine dating on top of that.

Dating in college can be a tricky situation, but here's some of my own advice that I've come to learn through my time at college that might make it a little more straightforward for you.

1. If you can, don't immediately jump into dating when you get to school

College is a time to figure out who you are as a person. I personally believe the first year or so of college is a quintessential time for one to be alone, in order to fully center one with who they are as a person in college.

Now, how you choose to utilize that time alone is all up to you - whether that means hooking up every so often or simply being alone, there's no wrong answer.

2. Say what you want from the get-go

If you decide to start seeing someone, always always ALWAYS say what you want before any real feelings get instilled in either of your minds.

I made this mistake my freshman year, where I wasn't super clear that I wanted to be in a monogamous relationship with someone I was casually seeing, and he turned out to think we were simply "f***ing around". That went on for a few weeks, and let's just say things did not end well.

It's always good to say exactly what you're feeling when you feel it. Maybe every so often, you'll need a moment to figure it out for yourself, but it never hurts to communicate even that to whoever you're seeing.

3. Relationships take time

I didn't realize it until I got a boyfriend, but relationships take up a lot of time and effort on both sides. Take this into consideration if you are doing a hard major that also requires a lot of time or if you need to work alongside classes.

Balance is key, and ultimately, it's up to you how you decide to balance everything.

4. If you break up or have a one night stand, you will definitely see that person around campus

College campuses are not huge places. Sure there's a lot of space, but not enough to be able to hide from that one guy you made out with on the dancefloor of a frat.

There was one day where I passed every guy I had hooked up with at college, and I honestly thought hell was welcoming me early.

5. Don't be afraid to experiment

Like I said before, college is the time to figure out who you are as a person. Alongside that, you need to figure out what you want as a person and how you want it. If you're not comfortable with hooking up or experimenting like that, don't do it. But if you do find yourself in a situation of the sort, play around a little bit and do things outside of what you would typically do.

And no, I'm not saying go too far outside your comfort zone. If you're ever too uncomfortable, tell whoever you're with and stop.

6. Say no if you're not ready or just not feeling it

From that point, it's okay if you say no. If someone is pressuring you to do something you're not comfortable with or you're just not into it, it is completely fine to just let them know "hey, I don't want this". If they don't stop, just walk away and get out however you can.

College is a time for figuring things out, but at your own pace and how you want it.

7. Use a god damn condom

Please, be safe in the bedroom.

Ask if they've been tested for any STDs, even though, I know, it can be an awkward question.

Use a god damn condom. If the guy doesn't have one, you are not having sex - end of story. Your safety and health is way more important than your pleasure. Anyways, you can finish yourself later anyways - you don't need him.

8. Get ready to squeeze two people into a twin-size bed

If you do start dating someone or you hook up with someone, the likelihood of you sleeping in a full/queen/king is very slim. Unless he/she is in some boujee dorm or have their own apartment with a bigger bed, get ready to squeeze into the little twin beds.

They aren't as small as you think, but it does make it difficult to spread out and be super comfortable at night.

9. Learn how to go on cheap dates

One of the things about dating in college is that since you're already spending so much money on school, why spend even more money on dates? Sure, a little splurging here and there is nice, but it's easier if you can find a way to make dating cheap.

Go to a museum on a day you don't have to pay. Go to the beach. Stay in and watch a movie on Netflix with some popcorn and candy. Have a picnic. Workout together. Play hide and seek around campus.

The options are endless.

10. Don't say no to any opportunities because of them

If your dream is to study abroad in London, and you start dating someone who makes you question going - don't you dare give up on that opportunity simply because you "don't want to leave them" or you're "afraid you'll break up". If you break up because of that, then it's not meant to be and you're better off without them anyways.

11. Experience college as well as whoever you're dating

The whole point of college is the experience as a whole. But because relationships can take up so much time, it's easy to miss out on the whole college experience because you're so caught up in your relationship.

Make sure not to forget about why you're at college in the first place. Whether it's to make friends, get a degree which will eventually lead to the job of your dreams, or simply to experience the culture as a whole - it's important to experience those things while you're there because you'll likely never be able to again.