Top three best and worst first dates

First dates stress everyone out! Even if you have been best friends for years, going on a date can feel very different from hanging out as friends. Today, I will be giving some advice on bad ideas for a first date and also some good ideas for a first date.

Despite where you go for a first date the most important thing is to be yourself. Don't sweat it. Girls, if he asked you out, he is obviously into you. Guys, if she said yes, she clearly thinks you are cute. This successful relationship is already in the making. Let's take some notes on how to enhance this budding romance!

Here are three bad choices for a first date:

1. The movies

If this isn’t obvious, it should be. NEVER, I repeat NEVER, go to the movies for a first date! Why, might you ask? Well, because it defeats the whole purpose of a first date. The first date is where the two of you get to know one another. You can’t do that in a movie, unless you want to get yelled at by everyone around you.

Movies are extra awkward on a first date because movies make people want to relax and get cozy. When on a first date, everyone is on edge. Even your mom is on edge. People like to touch at movies and on a first date all people think about is if they are going to hold hands, hug, or maybe even kiss. Do you really want to stress about that the whole time and miss a great movie which you'll have to pay to see again? No. Don’t put yourself through the torture. I’ve been there. We have all been there. #HighSchoolRegrets. So, if your crush asks you if you want to go to a movie and you have never gone out alone before, politely suggest that grabbing lunch might be better idea. That way you can chat and get to know each other better.

2. A really fancy dinner

Expensive dinners at a high-end restaurant are another no-no. Guys, we LOVE your sweet gestures; chivalry is not dead! But save the grandiose gestures for when you are going steady with a girl. Really fancy dinners are too intimate for a first date. Dim lighting, a $60 bill for only two people, heels... it’s too much! Not to mention, with all the nerves already pumping, who wants to add the stress of trying to find something to order that is a reasonable price? Us girls are already freaking out about having to eat in front of you! Another thing, I don’t know about you but I sure don’t want to be on a first date and have the couple that’s out to dinner for their 25th wedding anniversary directly to my right. Talk about pressure. For the first date keep it casual. Guys, save taking her out for a fancy dinner on your one-year anniversary. (Which we know you made it to because you took this expert advice of keeping it casual!)

3. Netflix and Chill

I want to get one thing straight. This is NOT a first date. This is somehow confusing for people. Guys, casually hanging out is not a substitute for taking a girl out on an actual date. Girls, don’t assume this is a first date. Little secret, its not. I don't know why this is confusing. Guys, if you like us just tell us and take us out. We are over the ambiguity. That is what high school was for: trial and error.

Yeah, just get this one out of your heads.

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Here are three good choices for a first date along with some suggestions on where you could go:

1. Lunch

Lunch is the perfect date. It is casual and it provides the perfect environment for getting to know each other. I mean, waiting for your food forces you to talk. What else are you going to do? However, here is a huge rule you must not break if you want this first date to go anywhere. DO NOT GET ON YOUR PHONE! That is possibly the rudest thing you can do. Girls, this guy is buying you a meal (hopefully) to get to know you. Do not disrespect him by being idle on your phone. Guys, if you asked the girl out then get on your phone, why did you ask her out in the first place? Eat, chat and be merry. No phones allowed.

Good option: Merritt’s

2. Coffee

This is another great option. If your schedules just don’t coincide around lunchtime, coffee in the morning or late afternoon is also another great way to get to know each other. Same rules as before: no phones, please.

Good option: Starbuck’s is totally fine if you don’t have a car to get off campus. Otherwise, there are plenty of cozy coffee shops in Carrboro

3. A Picnic/Park

If the weather is nice get outside with your date! A picnic is a really casual but also super cute way to get to know someone. Picnics earn you big points, gentlemen! It shows us you actually care and put thought into taking us out. Knowing how to plan is a really nice quality to have in a boyfriend. Trust me, I've been down the road of dating someone who struggled with making plans. It can be a little difficult.

Being in a park also allows for some moving around. Go for a walk or throw a frisbee! It takes some of the edge off of the date, and it is fun!

Good option: For those without cars, the arboretum will suffice.

These are only a few suggestions for good first dates, but in the fall there are so many other fun activities to do that don’t happen year round. Click here to read about UNC’s fall bucket list to get some more ideas for a good first date!

@ehennigan17