iApprove App Aids in College Dating Scene

By Lorena Roberts on September 14, 2018

If you’ve just started college, you’re probably noticing all the changes you’re going through. High school and college are completely different ballgames, especially when it comes to dating. College is a time to explore who you are, who you’re attracted to, and what qualities are most important when it comes to finding a life partner. But with conversations across the country about sexual assault arising, and the obvious statement that sexual assault happens on college campuses much more often than we truly know about, you should consider the situations you’re putting yourself in when you go on dates.

“You’re not in high school, so if something goes wrong you can’t call your parents to come pick you up or simply drive home,” says University of Southern California (USC) senior Elizabeth Pritzker. “You’re on your own, handling the dating scene for the first time.”

According to a recent press release, the app iApprove is being used across the country to manage a consenting relationship between two adults. The app puts both partners on record about what they are comfortable with and gives couples an option to define what their relationship is — whether it’s casual… or not.

via Pexels.com

Using a consent app like iApprove is one of many tips given to college freshmen from upperclassmen. Other tips include:

Choose a neutral place for the first meeting.

- If you’re using dating apps to meet people, it’s important that you choose a neutral meeting place. Consider Starbucks or the library… a public place with lots of traffic in case things get hairy.

Think about what you do and do not want in a college relationship.

- Consider what you’re looking for in a college relationship. If you didn’t date much in high school, now is probably the time for you to explore. But maybe you like to be committed, and dating one person is what you’re looking for. This should be established before you enter the college dating scene.

Actually talk to each other.

- Communication is key when it comes to dating in college. Playing games isn’t fun for anyone.

Don’t get wasted. 

- Though this may seem obvious, you may not know how tough it is to draw clear lines in the sand when intoxicated. Making decisions about dating while drunk is never a good idea.

Think twice about dating roommates’ friends. 

- Dating the friends of roommates can be awkward if things don’t work out. Consider all the downfalls of dating the friends of your roommates before you accept their invitation to a movie.

Avoid “ghosting.”

- This is one of the most immature ways to handle dating in college. This isn’t high school anymore. You owe it to the person you’ve been seeing to communicate that you’re no longer interested.

By being clear and transparent about your relationship and needs – and making sure your partner is on the same page – you’ll be able to feel more comfortable and actually enjoy dating. “When you feel confident that you’ve gotten the hard-to-discuss stuff out of the way, you can focus on getting to know each other,” Elizabeth says. “That tension about consent and ‘will we or won’t we’ goes away. It makes dating much more fun – the way it should be.”

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