It’s your first week at Taylor. You are suddenly surrounded by like-minded peers who share your beliefs and are also loyal to your favorite brand of overpriced open-toed shoes. The options are endless, right?
You know what they say about more fish in the sea, and Christian college is a coral reef teeming with life. This facilitates a phenomenon commonly known as the Freshman Frenzy. It’s a race to pair up with a significant other as quickly as possible during your first semester of college. It’s the Hunger Games of romance, but instead of hunger, it’s thirst. The Thirst Games.
Don’t forget - you only have one freshman year, so you have to do this right. Here is a comprehensive list of do’s and dont’s for surviving the Freshman Frenzy.
DO
Watch your Visual Crush (VC) closely during chapel. Are they raising their hands during worship? Swaying? Silent? This is definitely the fastest method for assessing someone’s spiritual maturity while also ensuring your worship styles are compatible — after all, you’ll want to avoid elbowing each other once you inevitably join their floor’s row for chapel after you start dating.
Use pick-a-dates to discern if your VC is a true Boaz or Proverbs 31 woman. If he doesn’t protect you during laser tag, how will he demonstrate spiritual leadership in the home? If she falls while ice skating, can she really walk the straight and narrow path with you for eternity? Look for soulmates in the little things, like five extra seconds of eye contact.
Stalk your VC’s social media. If your search confirms they are single and ready to Christian mingle, proceed to this game: for every photo of them on a missions trip holding a poverty-stricken child, give yourself five points. Add 10 more points for a verse in their bio, and another 10 for a shot of their highlighted Bible. Subtract 20 points if they post a meme with a swear word in it. Now compare their total points with your own social media sum to make sure you will be equally yoked.
DON’T
Take the time to gradually and organically get to know anybody. You know what they say — if you snooze, you lose. Stay on top of the Frenzy.
Cave to the pressure to focus solely on your education, friendships and spiritual development. Your time here at Taylor will fly by, so focus most of your energy wondering if that guy who opened the door for you at the Dining Commons meant something deeper!
Forget to check their Enneagram type, Myers Briggs, Hogwarts House, etc. Could you really see yourself with a type 7w8, ENFP Gryffindor from Broho? Check your heart.
Just remember to be yourself and have fun! Enjoy the Freshman Frenzy and don’t be afraid to walk the Loop with that girl from your Preceptorial after your DTR at Ivanhoe’s.
