Should men pay for dates?

So, I used to run these fun dating workshops where I'd toss out some spicy questions to get everyone talking and break the ice. One of my favorites? "Should men always pay for dates?" Oh boy, the answers are all over the place! But recently, I stumbled upon something that I never really considered before.

You see, ever since I arrived in China in 2018, I’ve been hyping up my students to step out of their shells, make more friends, and hey, maybe even try dating. A lot of them were pretty shy and would come to me asking for help. I’d playfully guide them with this super fun game (which, by the way, you can find in another post).

Now, here’s where my epiphany comes in. I always tell my students, "University is literally prime time to date! Everyone’s young, single, and at the same level—pursuing their degrees." It’s basically a dating playground! But then I realized something even better: You don’t even need to worry about paying for dates! I kid you not—every time I’ve gone to the canteen and asked a girl to join me for a meal (sometimes a boy),they’re already eating! So technically, I’ve done this over a thousand times and haven’t paid for a single meal (for the other person). Jackpot!

The moral? Make the most of your university years—it’s the easiest, most low-stakes time to meet new people and maybe even avoid footing their bill!

Update

There was a time when I would walk into the canteen at Hunan University of Engineering, unnoticed by anyone, and with no familiar faces around. I was new here and didn’t know a single person. But now, after being here for three years and making an effort every day to connect with new people, my experience is completely different—especially when the canteen is packed with students. I run into old friends, classmates from previous years, and I can easily join them for a meal, catching up on life since we last met. Today, I ate on both the first and second floors, and it gave me the chance to reconnect with so many familiar faces. That's what this post is about: the ease of meeting people, making friends, going on dates, expanding your network, or even just striking up conversations with strangers in a university environment. It's such an incredible opportunity, and I can't quite understand (because it is so easy to do) why more students aren’t taking full advantage of it - Making new friends everyday. 

Below are some pictures of me Today eating with old friends and making new ones too: