15 percent of NU undergrads say they are hooking up with someone regularly but “not in a relationship” with the person.
When asked about the sex scene here at Northwestern, the majority of respondents lamented the two polarized options for students: either be in a serious and committed relationship or be someone’s booty call after a bar night. A female sophomore criticizes “the usual complaint” about NU’s sexual politics: “No middle ground between long-term relationship people and hook-up people.” Northwestern students don’t necessarily seem to be upset with the sex that’s occurring (or not occurring for some of us) on campus, but rather the dating scene.
Single and mingling sums up the 59.1 percent of students surveyed who are currently not in relationships, while 84.5 percent told us they’re not hooking up with someone regularly. For those that are in relationships, the majority are seniors, 16.1 percent are still virgins, and more than a quarter of students currently off the market have sex 20 or more times per month. When it comes to other intimate acts between committed couples, 88.7 percent of these tied-down halves of a whole are comfortable performing oral sex on their partners and 43.4 percent report that they “sometimes” perform or receive oral sex.
But being in a relationship while in college alters more than just your bedroom antics (or lack thereof). For one Weinberg junior, “while being single for part of my freshman year was really fun, random hookups were not that exciting anymore after a while… Within my group of friends and the limited amount of guys we hung out with, it became almost incestuous because everyone was hooking up with the same guys.” As someone who was in an exclusive relationship for almost two years, I, too, know firsthand that being in a relationship can greatly alter your experiences at college.
How does the other (more than) half live, as far as libidos are concerned? The 59.1 percent of students not in a relationship – myself included in that category – seem to be having far less sex than those couples we all secretly roll our eyes at because we know they’re probably getting laid on a regular basis. The majority of single students are sophomores, 39.7 percent are still virgins, and almost two-thirds have sex zero times per month. Despite this decidedly dismal fi gure, it’s not the desire for some action that’s lacking, considering that 63.9 percent of singles surveyed wish they had more sexat NU. So… why aren’t they? Although us lone wolves tend to view ourselves as having very little in common with couples, 61 percent of single students have never had a one-night stand at Northwestern – compared with 69.5 percent of coupled-up respondents.
No matter what your viewpoint on relationships might be, having a special someone has its advantages and disadvantages. Take it from someone who went from being practically married to single over the course of a winter break. Although it is comforting to know that someone is waiting for you when you get home or that you have someone to call before going to sleep, it can also be refreshing to do things on your own time; I sure get a lot more work done now that I’m single.
