I’ve been officially single for four years and two months. While my previous boyfriends have moved on and changed their relationship status on Facebook so many times that it now seems like I am one girl in a long list of ex-girlfriends, I have not been so lucky. In fact, I’m so used to being single, I have a very shadowy memory of what being in a relationship is actually like (how sad is that?!). Sure, I’ve liked guys since, but there is the annoying ‘Do They, Don’t They’ situation (Single people, you understand my pain). For example, about two years ago, I liked a guy who happened to be a good friend. He seemed to like me too, especially when he asked me whether I wanted to go to the cinema with him. I went along happily thinking this was a date. Slight problem – he didn’t think it was a date. I think we can all understand what happened there without an explanation (he was horrified to learn I was attracted to him and yes, it was extremely awkward afterwards).

I may sound incredibly pessimistic, but in reality, being single has actually not been that bad and it’s something I quickly got used to. It has been a good time to focus on myself and not have to worry about yet another person in my life. Singledom has had its lonely moments, yes, but, in hindsight, I’m not sure I would have been able to juggle assignments, A-levels, a Saturday job, see my friends and family as well as being in a relationship. Over the four years, I’ve been able to go to parties and talk to everyone, not sticking with the same person the whole evening. I’ve made lots of good friends who all know me as me, and not as ‘[Insert male name]’s girlfriend’.

Now I am at university, it would be nice to have a relationship after suffering four years of singledom, but for me, it’s not a priority. Being single has its benefits like being in a relationship can have – we need to individually appreciate both. Besides, we’re still young, it’s more than likely that we haven’t all had our last ever relationship anyway.