Picture your ideal first date. Not your first ever date, but the first time you go out with someone new. Would it be a trip to the movies or a picnic at the beach? A few Cathedral students gave their personal expectations and described the process of meeting a person for the first time.

First dates can make or break a relationship, because it’s when you make first and lasting impressions. A lot of positively portraying yourself has to do with exhibiting your best manners. From a sampling of both male and female Cathedral students, 94% decided that on a first date, the guy should be expected to hold open doors. However, only 29% of the students believe that it is not OK to check their cell phones on a date.

But before you actually land a date, there’s proper conduct on initiating the date. While 77% of Cathedral students say that either the guy or the girl should initiate the date, 23% of students say the guy should initiate the date.

Next, you have to choose a place to go. Keep in mind the interests and disinterests of the person you’re taking out when choosing the venue of your date. For example, if he/she can’t swim, a beach day may not be the best choice. Senior Morgan Cunning said her ideal place to go would be “Costco because you can eat, try samples together, read books together, and watch movies on the giant TVs.” Junior Erin Kelly said, “The best place to go is walking on the beach or hiking.”

Senior Heather Pape gave advice for dressing up for a date, “It doesn’t matter as long as you’re comfortable.” Sophomore Matthew Bailey says, “I would wear something formal.” The average time Cathedral students reported taking to get ready for a date is around an hour. Yet, depending on where you’re going, certain circumstances call for more or less preparation time. Senior John Horne said, “The amount of time I take to get ready depends on the girl.”

Then comes the most important part of the whole process: the date itself. 77% of students say the guy should pay for the first date, so don’t be stingy with the bill, boys, but keep in mind to go somewhere you will be able to afford. 85% of students said that the guy should pick up the girl for the first date whether it be in his own car, or for freshman and sophomores, driven by a parent. If you are picking up your date, senior David Sakara said, “Make sure you have a good playlist.”

If you really want to make a good impression on that special someone, you may want to consider the ideas shared by these students as their ‘dream dates.’ Senior Darlene Vales says her ideal first date would be spent “eating junk food and watching movies.” Sophomore Julia Martinez said that on her dream date, “The guy picks me up and meets my parents then we drive around and listen to music, pick up food, then go to the beach, sit in the trunk of his car, and watch the sunset.” Senior Danielle Jaksha would go for “Eating food and playing video games.”

While taking a person out for the first time can seem frightening and complex at first, the best advice that can be given is to relax and have fun!