So I was recently sitting in the living room of a good friend of mine. We sat there reminiscing about the past year. All of a sudden we both realised that know without the safety net of university we will actually have to meet women outside our bubble. Do you know what that means? Everywhere is a potential meeting spot for you future wife or one night stand or if you are Simon Le Bon moment in paradise. So if you are heading to tesco for a quick hangover breakfast or picking up a toilet seat, or maybe picking up some soup because you are sick, all of them chances to meet someone special. Do you know how much pressure that can put on you? That is, if like me, you think about these things too much. In reality we will most likely meet the future moment in paradise in a social setting. A Party, Club or bar. Either one of you will pick up the courage to go against social norm and introduce yourself. You will quickly learn to shed your guilt of only approaching someone due to their looks. As much as I often try to guess what they like and political affiliation (easier than you would imagine), you know the exact moment they come over what they are looking for. You can easily tell in their eyes because they are still formulating what they want to tell you. Sizing you up deciding whether to be serious or romantic or humorous. I guess stepping away from university is a similar experience to you no longer using a blanket as a child. The security and familiarity is gone. The expectation of their always being something going almost every night, whether it be a party, quiz night or drunken risk game . Having to find another local, creating a new set of friends are all new minefields that we have to traverse. Then again the little embarrassing things are all gone, no longer a walk of shame, no more petty arguments about women, no more problems with security telling you to stop the party. I have been out of the university atmosphere twice and a key fact is that you tend to not fuck things up as you usually do. You will rarely get into the too drunk to fuck syndrome. Desperation will still permeate through the air but at least this time it will come from both sexes. Everyone is chasing away their problems either through dancing the night away, washing it down with alcohol or losing it in the midst of mindless flirtation. By shedding the social belief of being too respectful you will be much more successful than you can ever imagine. Then again there is always a thin line between being a cunt and a hero. A smaller line than when in university. At university if you fucked up badly you could at least have someone eventually stick up for you. Even if you are badmouthed when you are not even at there as it happened to me. I could have sued for slander but I am not a twat. With all this being said, always carry a book with you if you are going on any mode of transport, it is a classic conversation starter. Although I refuse to approach any woman who reads harry potter. A man has got to have his principles.