What is it like dating in the modern world at university? 21-year-old Annabelle is confident she has learnt the tricks and trades of it after being newly single.
One thing she claims she has picked up on are the red flags of the guys she has dated.
She talks about a date she went on that raised eyebrows. “Mentioning your ex-girlfriend on a first date is quite a big red flag. One of the guys I went on a date with a guy who did mention his ex, was telling a story that involved her. But the way he was mentioning her, he was only talking about her actions that were bad not depicting her in a bad way. So I would say run away if he says that all his exes are crazy or insults her.”
Oh boy… Who really wants to be with someone who insults every other person they’ve been with?
“A guy I was on a date with told me he has a steak once a week which as a student is quite funny. Another actually outed themselves saying they have no concept of money when I mentioned what a good starting salary after uni was. As well, I don’t mind paying for rounds of drinks in turns, but if they don’t get the first one, it’s a red flag for me. It’s a gentlemanly move to do”
“I would say also if they don’t want to talk about politics or say ‘they aren’t political’, that’s a red flag for me. I come from a working-class background and it is important for me to know that the person I am seeing understands that.”
Anabelle adds certain things her date would say that came across as odd and became to her a slight red flag. Not to mention the fact that they had opposing views on things she felt strongly about.
“When I mentioned Andrew Tate and he said that he can’t hate him because he doesn’t know him raised big sirens for me. The same guy also had a lot to say about the justice system which we thought differently on.”
From experience, uni student Annabelle makes a point to advise people to look out for red flags so early on in dating and to not bypass them because they could end up being worse in the long run.
“I have always given them the benefit of the doubt and seen them again despite the red flags. And personally, that’s not worked out for the best. I was ghosted. From experience though, if a person is presenting red flags on the first date, you probably shouldn’t see them again.”
“Dating at Uni is hard, dating apps don’t always make it easier either.”