Let’s face it: most of us are looking for love. It may be something you’ve tried not to think about after a messy high school breakup or something that evolved into doodling your first name with the last name of the cute boy in calculus class. We’ve all been there. But no matter what situation you find yourself in now, romantic relationships are something that touch most, if not all, of our lives.  

For me, I knew coming to NC State that I wanted a boyfriend. I had my fair share of letdowns in high school (I was and still am a nerd), but the thought of coming to a university with far more men than women, and nerdy men too, elevated my hopes.

I don’t want to say “Ha, I got one!” but I did, and I’m pretty happy. Many of my single friends still text or call me for advice, such as: Should I ask him out or wait for him to call me? Is dinner too much or is coffee too casual?

If you’re at NC State and looking for romance, you’re not alone. And you might not be far off either. According to a Facebook Data Sciences study in 2013, 28 percent of married graduates attended the same college as their spouse.

With my personal experiences in mind, I set out to find what the dating scene looks like at our university. First off, you may not think of it as a science, but in a lot of ways finding a partner is just that. Finding a significant other, if you’re looking for one, can be dependent on how many of whomever you’re into is in your location, what standards you have (college-educated, etc.), the effort you are willing to put into making it happen and so on.

According to a Pack Poll survey completed in the spring of 2016, 41 percent of students surveyed said that they had used an online dating app. Kali Fillhart, a third-year studying anthropology and creative writing, met her boyfriend of seven months on Tinder, a dating app. “I was just trying to meet people casually,” Fillhart said. “And then I met Cody.”

I was actually talking to people at my table in French class when I met another couple at NC State — these two have been together for four and a half years. Amber Allen, a fourth-year studying psychology, was a senior in high school when she met Chandler Marr, at that point a freshman at Allen’s high school, and today a second-year studying communication.

“She didn’t like me at first ─ she actually despised me,” Marr said. “Then, he wouldn’t leave me alone,” said Allen.

I asked Marr if he was looking for a long-term commitment when he started dating Allen. He told me, “Yeah, I guess dating for fun is for some people, but I think finding someone who’s your best friend, who you want to spend the rest of your life with is really important. Obviously that doesn’t always happen,” he went on, “but I think it’s worth it to find someone who you are willing to do that with.”

This, of course, does not display the entire dating scene on our campus. I know students who just had their hearts broken by people who made promises that didn’t last past the first year of college. I know students who could care less about being in a relationship, but honestly, everyone I know has been in one, has just gotten out of one, or is thinking about someone they are in danger of falling for.

For college-educated women interested in heterosexual relationships, the older you get, the harder it becomes to find someone. Yikes. Jon Birger, author of “Date-onomics,” wrote that, “Because women have been graduating from college in 30-plus percent greater numbers than men for years, there are now four women for every three men nationally in the marriage-age, college-educated dating market.” According to Birger’s estimates, a college-educated female who is still single at age 40 faces a market where there are 52 percent more college-educated single women than college-educated single men.

Although the statistics are bleak, and by the way, worse depending on where you live — Raleigh is cited along with Houston and NYC for being brutal for single heterosexual women — I’m not suggesting that you have to pin someone down now.

One, that’s a terrible expression because hopefully you are with someone who you just naturally enjoy being with, but secondly, college relationships are stressful. If I’m having a rough week emotionally, my classes are left behind. It throws my whole balance off.

Still, a rough week is worth the encouragement and support. Honestly, the relationship itself is worth a whole lot just by itself because every day I am reminded that my life is not just about me — my wants, my desires, me (something our generation is sometimes lacking). Being in a relationship has made me a better person because I’ve learned to be far less selfish; I’m willing to drop what I’m doing to support my significant other, and he does the same for me.

When I talk to my parents about how they were recently able to celebrate 30 years of marriage, it comes down to sacrifice. They don’t always like each other or agree, but I see in their relationship the sacrifices they willingly make out of love for each other.

It’s important to make sure in your own relationship that there is a balance of support. I’ve been shocked to hear from several of my friends that they have been or are in relationships where their boyfriend doesn’t allow them to drink, dress a certain way or have many friends — all warning signs of a controlling relationship.

When navigating the dating scene at NC State, I feel like I have to talk about caution. It’s incredibly easy to be taken advantage of at a party or slowly, through forms of control, either physically or emotionally abused.

Most women will understand where I’m coming from when I say that I know to be on my guard. It’s the same reason why many of my girl friends ask their guy friends to walk with them through campus at night if they’re getting from one location to another. It shouldn’t be this way, this shouldn’t have to happen, but it does. So this goes for everyone ─ all students on NC State campus ─ respect other people’s desires when it comes to any form of intimacy. Ask, and be respectful of whatever decision the person arrives at.

Whether you are looking for love or a casual fling, my best advice is to be honest with yourself and your partner, be willing to put in the work a relationship requires (even if you think you don’t have time, you may be surprised) and be open to dating people you may never have thought about — you may just find yourself in love.