As the weather starts to cool down and the leaves begin to change, you may start to notice more couples strolling hand in hand across campus.

Cuffing season, when the weather gets colder and people are more motivated to couple up to avoid loneliness during the colder months, happens every year.

Follow these three easy tips to avoid spending the holiday season alone.

Perfecting Your Profile

While we may not realize it, dating apps are no different than your Instagram or Twitter profile. Depending on what you choose to post, your followers (in this case, your prospective admirers) will either adore you or count you out.

Posting a short bio on your profile is key to getting people to swipe right on you. It lets potential beaus know who you are and what you’re passionate about.

Not adding in a bio basically gives off the impression you don’t care.

Photos are important. You don’t need to have professional photos taken, but others perception of you means a lot when you want more matches. Take good photos of yourself to show your possible partners you’re putting in the effort.

When posting photos to your profile, stick to selfies, not group photos. People on your page are looking for love, not flipping through a book of ‘Where’s Waldo’.

Be Straightforward

When you’ve swiped right a couple of times and have a few matches, be honest and forthcoming about what you’re looking for and what your expectations are. It’s fine to want a hookup, but don’t write “I’m looking for love,” just to mislead viewers of your page.

There’s tons of users on a given dating app, a good portion of them are going to swipe right on you. You’ll match with some of them, and only a few will prove to be worthwhile in the long run.

To find the one, you have to be open minded and put yourself out there. You will get ghosted and it’s nothing to freak out about, just keep swiping!

Safety First

After you’ve matched with someone you have a strong connection with, be sure to still put your safety first before you meet up with them.

Verify their identity by using Snapchat to avoid giving out your phone number. Utilize the video chat feature as a sort of pre-date, and don’t feel bad about not making plans because you didn’t get good vibes from a conversation.

Before going out with someone from whom you met online (or anywhere), tell a friend and share your location with them and come up with an escape plan. In the event that your life is put in jeopardy, someone will know where you are and how they can come get you.

When going on the first few dates, always meet in a public area just in case something happens. Don’t share too many details about your life before you get to know your match, you never know who you could be talking to.

Never go back to their place or take them to yours until you’re confident you know what type of person they are. 

Hannah Davis is a feature writer. Contact her at [email protected].