You might not consider the college dining hall the most romantic location for a date but don’t rule it out. It is a sociable space, it is safe and you gotta eat. And it doesn’t disrupt your day so you needn’t feel guilty about hooking up with a cute guy instead of having your nose in the books. Need some hints on how?
One of the best ways to have a successful date in the college dining hall is to show your interest early in the semester when your regular lunchtime friends have not been fully established. This will make it much easier to be able to skip out and have a nice little dining hall date without the avalanche of questions and attempted interruptions that you might get from your friends if they suspect that you’ve ditched them!
Now is the time for heroes! Even if the person you like is surrounded by their friends on a huge bench in the dining hall, you need to suck it up and go and ask them in front of everybody. Don’t be embarrassed, confidence is sexy. They will appreciate that you have taken time out of your own lunch hour to go and ask them to spend time with you. It can be nerve-racking in front of everybody, but it will be worth it!
The college dining hall can, at times, be likened to a jungle full of hungry animals clamoring to get their food! This is not an ideal atmosphere for a first date, so make sure to pick a time for your date that does not clash with any of the big eating ‘rush hours’. You don’t want it to be absolutely deserted, but at the same time you don’t want to be shouting at each other over the din of hungry students.
Even though it’s only a causal date at the dining hall, it doesn’t mean you can turn up in your favorite dorm room sweats! You should treat the dining hall date as you would any other first date. Forget about the unusual location and focus on making yourself look good for your date. First impressions count for a lot, and you don’t want them to think you are a college slob!
Location is everything, so make sure to get there early to scope out the perfect table for your date. Corner tables always tend to be a good option, as you will get a little more privacy than if you were sat right in the middle of the hall, and being able to look out at the rest of the hall will make for easy and endless people watching conversation!
When choosing your meal in the dining hall, try to avoid any foods that might make for an embarrassing moment later on. There is nothing to kill the mood like getting some spinach stuck in your teeth, or having super strong garlic breath for later on in the evening!
Remember to eat a little slower than you usually would. This serves two purposes; the first being that you won’t get awkwardly full or bloated on the date, and the second being that a slower eating rate will prolong the date and stop it from becoming awkward when the two of you are sat there with empty plates and no conversation!
Have you had a dinner hall date? How did it go? Any tips to share?