Speed Dating
Nowadays, many people tend to use dating apps when they want to find a potential partner. In my opinion, your chances are much higher in real life (of course I can’t speak for everyone). There are definitely people who have successfully formed relationships by meeting online, but females typically get hundreds of messages and most likely, they’re not going to respond to you unless you are the top 5%. So, if you seriously want to meet a potential partner, you should try meeting them in person. In this post, I’ll be sharing my speed dating experience with you all.
In December of 2015, I went speed dating with a friend of mine. I had never done anything like this before, so I had no expectations. In fact, I wasn’t even planning to look for someone. Anyhow, allow me to explain to you how it works.
The website is called 25dates.com . First, you select your preference. Then, you select where you live near to (you will see what I mean if you go on the site). Then, you will be able to look for an event that matches the age preference that you want and register.
Our venue was at a lounge. When we arrived, we were assigned a number. Women were given an even number, while men were given an odd number.
We were each given a pamphlet of some sort in which we could tick off the person we wish to see again. If it’s a mutual thing (Ex. 13 checks off 2, and 2 checks off 13), the individuals will be sent an email a couple days later disclosing their matches’ email information. If you wish to contact the person, you may email him/her.
The lounge was organized in a very relaxing atmosphere. There were alphabets signs scattered around the area. Basically, the ladies have to choose an alphabet and sit down at that spot. The men will then have to rotate according to the alphabet (Ex. If you are at D, you will go to E next).
The bell rings after 3 minutes, and the men will head to their next alphabet.
It was a very interesting experience.
Now, I shall talk about the PROs and CONs of speed dating.
PRO
You can meet a lot of potential matches in a short amount of time. At the event that I attended, there were 14 women and 16 men. The event was about an hour and a half long (this might vary if there are more or fewer participants). However, this is how you can maximize your time. Within a couple of minutes, most people can already tell whether they are attracted to the person or not. Speed dating is definitely time efficient.
You have exposure to a variety of men/women. Since I live in Toronto, it is a very multicultural city. The men were a mix of different races. Although, the women were mainly Caucasians. Regardless, the way they interact do differ. You can learn a lot about body language, keeping/starting a conversation, and so on.
CON
You have to pay. Now, I am a SUPER DUPER cheap person. I don’t want to pay for anything. Luckily, I found a groupon deal online and saved some money. Haha. However, since it is a paid event, the participants tend to be more serious; so it’s good and bad depending on how you look at it.
There is always a chance you won’t get a match. That would suck. But hey, you could always try again?
If you’re shy/quiet, you are at a disadvantage because first impression matters a lot. You only have 3 minutes to impress the girl/guy. However, in my opinion, be yourself and don’t try to plan the conversation. You never know what the person is going to say, so just be yourself. You want the person to like you for who you are.
P.S. A tip for men: Don’t be cocky. There is a difference between being cocky and being confident. If you’re confident, you just know. You don’t have to prove anything. If you feel like you have to brag and show off to impress a girl, that’s unattractive. One guy was trying to tell me how rich he was; unless you want a gold digger, don’t do it.
P.P.S. Sometimes, you might get a match and go on a few dates. If it doesn’t work out, don’t be discouraged. There are plenty of fishes in the sea. If anything, you can try online dating or tinder. Haha.
P.P.P.S. If you are still in school, speed dating is probably not your thing because the youngest people are usually in their mid 20s.