Relationships

Relationships at Williams would work a lot better if there were some sort of understanding between the sexes about how they expect each other to act! In that vein, here are some helpful suggestions:

Suggestions to Boys by Girls:

1. As old-fashioned as it may sound, girls still want (in many cases, even expect) the boy to do the asking--asking on a date, to his room, etc. In other words, we're chicken enough to want you to do the initiating.
2. Mind your manners. I might have the world's biggest crush on you, but if you're gross and burp all night, it's over. Disgusting=alone.
3. Girls' signals can often be really subtle. Yes, we'll manufacture ways to bump into you or try to have a conversation with you about the only thing we can think of (that is, nothing at all, since you're hot and make us nervous!). But, we usually leave the actual move-making to you (once again, we're chicken).
4. Just go for it! Chances are very good that we'll say yes!
5. Get some balls. If a girl is gutsy enough to make a move, answer her yes or no. If she asks you to get coffee, don't make excuses and say "maybe next week....?" It's not very nice, and gives her false hope, as irrational as it might be.

Suggestions to Girls by Boys

1. Boys, have anything?

The long term high school relation will generally fail after one or two years. However, this will put you in a better position than all those of your classmates who immediately got wifed with some upperclassman/entry mate within the first semester because you'll have much better friends. Don't date someone at home while you're abroad, the results will be disastrous. Even if you're happy at school, leave it while you're away and come back when you return.

On that note, don't feel obligated to actually be in a relationship while here. While some people feel the need to "pretend" to be happy being single, it really does provide freedom and entertainment for extended periods of time.

The Boston Globe ran an article about Williams relationships here. An excerpt:

At Williams, the refrain is that everyone is either "married" -- 
inseparable from their significant other -- or prone to "hook up" 
with people in casual, usually drunken, encounters. Or they have no 
love life at all.

Get tested.

This is not exactly an unbiased source of funding for a report of its kind, but it is a rather interesting study nonetheless...arguably pretty compelling evidence that college women get the short end of the stick when it comes to the hookup/marriage culture at places like Williams. (and of course, sometimes men do, too.)

http://www.americanvalues.org/html/r-hooking_up.html