Lifestyle

The 99 Things You Learn As A Single Girl In Your 20s

by Ashley Fern

Despite what many people think, your twenties are honestly the perfect time to be single. These are the years you are growing into your own person, adjusting to the new world of adulthood and being exposed to things you never have been exposed to before.

You are living on your own, exploring new cities, interacting with all different types of people -- all while gaining new experiences. How are you supposed to fully invest in yourself during this time if you spend it preoccupied with someone else?

Of course, people won't agree with me, but this is my personal outlook of what I learned by being single in my twenties. Hopefully you can relate and, if not, I'll see you in the comment section.

1. Calling a guy nice should be a compliment rather than an insult

2. After a while, it's not as bad as it's perceived to be

3. Over-analyzing text messages is the quickest way to drive yourself crazy

4. The best response is typically no response

5. You always have to pay for dinner… even if it's not in cash

6. Conversation is the most important factor

7. ...Aside from sex

8. Just because someone loves you does not mean that person understands you

9. You should always be your number one priority, no matter how often your relationship status fluctuates

10. If he's too good to be true, ignore the truth until you can't any longer and promise to learn better the next time

11. Don't overlook your friends for a guy

12. A steady rotation is never a bad thing

13. However, it gets really awkward when those in the rotation meet one another

14. You will not find your soul mate via a dating app

15. However you will download and delete dating apps at least three times before realizing this

16. It doesn't matter how many pairs of flats you purchase, he will never get any taller

17. There are certain people who make better lovers than partners

18. Exes are your exes for a reason

19. If you go digging for dirt, you'll find it and you'll regret it every f*cking time

20. If you think he's just not that into you, well then he probably is just not that into you

21. You can't always listen to everyone's advice, you have to go with your gut

22. However, your family can often times give you the best advice

23. Being positive will make you a happier person

24. Casual sex can and will be fun, but the eventual love making can be even better

25. Being independent or thrown into a tough situation is the best way to grow into yourself

26. Sometimes you don't know what you don't like until you come into contact with it

27. Cry hard about something that upset you and never cry about the same thing again

28. It's perfectly okay to stay in on the weekends with your best friend, watch "Law & Order" and complain about how single you both are

29. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me

30. Exercise for yourself not for someone else

31. Cheaters usually repeat their mistakes

32. Don't try and be someone you're not

33. Do not cyber stalk the sh*t out of the other person before going on a date -- getting to know the other person is the point of the date

34. Trying new things and having fun is the best way to figure out what it is that you want

35. Don't purposely lead people on, it's just cruel

36. How to assemble your own furniture

37. It's beyond beneficial to carry a mini hair brush in your purse on a night out, oh and concealer

38. There is nothing a Jimmy John's sandwich can't cure

39. Boys are not worth wasting a day's makeup over

40. You discover who your die-hard friends are

41. Not every relationship you get involved in is going to be "the relationship"

42. Physical age doesn't guarantee maturity

43. Batteries control every important electronic aspect of your life

44. Friendships can be your most intense relationships

45. Don't complain about something or someone you're putting up with

46. Looks are far from everything

47. People don't change and it's rude to try and make them because of selfish reasons

48. You can't rush what's meant to be

49. When you give certain men an inch, they will take a yard

50. How freeing it is not to have to answer to anyone

51. Your phone battery will last a lot longer without a boyfriend

52. There's never a good enough reason for a seven-scroll text message

53. You don't need a boy to define you

54. Receiving "heyyyy" after 1 am means he's trying to f*ck you, not date you

55. You need to create a happy medium between eating your feelings and burning them off

56. You will never feel better after sleeping with your ex

57. Forgiving someone makes you the stronger person, not the weaker one

58. It's important to know when you need to apologize

59. Sometimes you just outgrow loving someone

60. Your past does not define you, but it can teach you valuable life lessons

61. Anything you want and need to do can be done on your own

62. Sometimes love just isn't enough

63. Often it means more to trust someone than to love that person

64. The more anger you carry with you, the harder finding and accepting love will be

65. You should never stay with someone out of comfort or convenience

66. Honesty is mostly the best policy

67. Any and all relationships you encounter in your life will teach you a lesson, even if you are unsure what it is at the moment

68. You can't make someone love you

69. Loving someone does not always translate into being with that person

70. It's usually best to think with your head and not your heart, but that is not usually what happens

71. Heartbreak will never get easier but you will learn how to manage it

72. Only you can determine your self-worth

73. Invest in a hobby, it'll help you remain sane

74. There comes a certain breaking point when you just need to let someone go

75. Looking for love is the surest way to never find it

76. Do not let where others are at in their lives overwhelm or consume you

77. Always choose deep and simple over shallow and complex

78. Before you love another you must love yourself

79. Love and lust are two very, very distinct things and the sooner you realize the difference, the better off you will be

80. Once a creeper, always a creeper

81. Men are not mind readers so don't get mad when they don't know what's going on inside your head

82. For some reason some people just can't seem to take a hint regardless of how obvious it is

83. Mostly everyone deserves a second chance, but it should be given with caution

84. What's meant to be will be, or at least that's what you will keep telling yourself

85. If a guy will cheat on his girlfriend with you, he will do the same to you if he ever leaves her

86. Comparing yourself to someone else will only make you feel worse

87. You end up with what you settle for

88. Do not settle because you are bored or lonely

89. Warning: Your ex-boyfriend from college is probably the same exact person in the post-grad world

90. If you keep telling yourself there are no good, available men, then there are no good, available men

91. You are always responsible for how you act no matter how you feel

92. If he doesn't want to get in touch with you, he won't get in touch with you and if he does, then he will

93. For some reason as soon as you act like you're not interested in someone, that person will start acting like he is interested in you

94. The best way to forget about a one-night stand is to delete his phone number, if you even got that far

95. If you don't have someone by October 1, you most likely won't have someone all winter

96. Don't fake it because then he will never learn

97. No guy is worth changing yourself for

98. Dancing around your apartment, blasting music while crying is the best form of therapy

99. Just because you're single doesn't mean no one loves you

Photo via We Heart It