Every year, Valentine’s Day comes with wildly unrealistic expectations. Social media wants you to believe Feb. 14 is reserved for candlelit dinners, coordinated outfits, and
couples posting captions like “my forever.” However, college students know better.
This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday, which sounds promising at first. No classes, no waking up early, and technically, more time to celebrate. But let’s be honest, a Saturday Valentine’s Day doesn’t suddenly turn college life into a rom-com.
Money plays a big role in how Valentine’s Day looks for college students. Candlelit dinners are cute until rent is due and your checking account says otherwise. Most students aren’t splurging on extravagant dates, opting instead for budget-friendly plans that still feel special. Social media heavily influences how college students view Valentine’s Day, making it hard to ignore the pressure to live up to unrealistic expectations. Keeping things simple, however, not only eases financial stress but also makes the day feel more genuine and realistic, rather than something pulled straight from a Pinterest board.
Those expectations become even harder to meet when distance is involved. Long-distance relationships make Valentine’s Day more complicated, especially when your significant other goes to a different school or lives in a completely different state. Instead of in-person dates, the holiday often means FaceTime calls or texting. Social media only adds to the pressure, making it easy to compare your virtual plans to picture-perfect posts of couples celebrating together. For many students, Valentine’s Day becomes more about managing expectations rather than trying to live up to an unrealistic ideal.
Even for couples, things aren’t always clearly defined. Being in a relationship isn’t easy, and more often than not, it starts with the dreaded situationship. For those unfamiliar with the term, Dr. Albers from the Cleveland Clinic explains that “a situationship is a romantic or sexual relationship that hasn’t been formalized” (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). In college, this phase is especially common because everyone is juggling packed schedules, shifting priorities, and no real idea of what the future looks like. Valentine’s Day only adds to the confusion, turning situationships into a mix of unspoken expectations, mixed signals, and that awkward pressure to define something that was never clearly defined in the first place.
Another reality check for college students on Valentine’s Day is time, or the lack of it. Between classes, internships, part-time jobs, athletics, and homework that never seems to end, finding time to plan something “perfect” can feel impossible. Even though Valentine’s Day falls on a weekend, college life doesn’t magically slow down. Many students are still catching up on assignments, working long shifts, or using the day to recover from an exhausting week. Instead of elaborate dates, Valentine’s Day often looks like squeezing in time between responsibilities, which only reinforces how unrealistic those picture-perfect expectations really are.
Of course, not everyone is in a relationship, and a Saturday Valentine’s Day doesn’t change that either. For many single students, the holiday becomes an excuse for Galentine’s plans, self-care nights, or treating Valentine’s Day like any other weekend. It might mean a night out with friends, a cozy evening in, or just doing whatever you’d normally do on a Saturday. With no expectations to meet or plans to impress anyone else, a lot of students actually find Valentine’s Day more enjoyable this way. No pressure, no labels, just a weekend spent however you want.
So yes, if you’re lucky enough to be in a relationship this Valentine’s Day, the fact that it falls on a Saturday is technically a win. Whether you’re spending Valentine’s Day with a significant other, on FaceTime with someone miles away, or turning it into a group hang, Valentine’s Day in college isn’t about picture-perfect plans. It’s about making it work, keeping it low-pressure, and enjoying the day however you want, because at the end of the day, it’s still Saturday.
