Dating Etiquette As A Student Guest Post

Hi, I’m LAL from LivingAlmostLarge and LAL musings. I am a 30 year old graduate student hoping to find financial freedom one day. I’m currently a DINK (dual income no kids) but that will be changing sooner rather than later. If you are interested in the journey of parenthood, finances, and job hunting, please stop by. But for now I’d like to thank the Studenomist for this guest post.

Dating as a student, who pays?  Traditionally men have “paid” to take women out. But with the rise of women in the workforce and delaying of marriage till later in life, it appears that traditional rules are becoming less applicable to the dating scene.

But dating as a student is different. Anyone whose a student is typically broke and in debt. Though they might be working, the majority of students are full time students and not full time workers going part-time. So many do not have a steady stream of income, as they work part-time or flexible hours.

So who pays?  Do conventional rules apply?

I think when dating as a student, most dates should be dutch. I don’t think there should be an expectation of the man to pay for the woman no matter what. Perhaps if a student is dating a person with a full-time job and steady income, then it would be perfectly acceptable for the working person of either sex to pay.

Another option is to do “cheap” dates. Instead of going out to a bar, buy a 6 pack of beer and drink at home. Instead of dinner out, cook at home. Take a snack and go to the library for a cheap study date. Grab a cup of coffee at home instead of Starbucks. Go camping for a weekend for a vacation instead of a “real” vacation.

I think part of the problem is that society labels dates as “dinner, dessert, and a movie”.  A night out ends up costing $30/per person, which adds up fast. Plus students often enjoy going out hitting bars or night clubs, which with cover and drinks also adds up fast.

But with people staying students longer, even part-time or going back to “retool”, I wonder if the dating etiquette will evolve as we’re evolving as a society.

What dating rules do you think apply to students?