Dating

What is dating and how can you effectively date?

Types of Dating and their Differences
People date for different reasons or goals in mind. There are two different types of dating which one usually transitions into the other, casual dating and courtship(exclusive dating). For example when a person casually dates their main focus is meting/getting to know a wide variety people of the opposite sex while doing a wide variety of activities. The second next step of dating, which in correct terms is called courting, is when you are exclusively dating one person. The main idea of exclusive dating is focusing and investing all your interest into a single person, with the intent of a long-term relationship and usually the idea of potential marriage.

Three P's
Whether you are in the casual dating stage or the courtship stage, the idea of a date stays the same. A legitimate date consist of three important actions/parts called the three P's. Planned, paid for and paired off. By the way, when you are in an exclusive relationship remember to keep going a actual dates, it plays a very important part of the growth and happiness of your relationship. Lets dig a little deeper into this concept to understand how to use each of the three P's to create a great date. Which is essential to all types of dating!
Planned 
Plan the whole date beforehand. Make sure when you are planning the date that you ask yourself questions like, "Will this activity help me get to know more about him/her?" "Can we conversant during this activity?" "Is this activity production and/or beneficial for both me and my date?" and "Is this date activity different then past dates we have done or are we planning a repeat date?" Also try to plan something different then the usual date ideas. Remember you want to experience a variety of activities with your date(s).
Paid for
Make sure all the resources that you will need for the date are ready and available. Typically the male pays for the date, but that doesn't mean the female is not allowed to help out. If you are a college student (like me) and have a very limited budget (like me) then make sure to plan a reasonably inexpensive or even a free date. For example, volunteering at a animal shelter, its free and it is a great way to get away from cliche date ideas (movies, bowling, dinner etc.)
Paired off
Make sure when you're on a date, especially group dates, that you are focusing on and paired off with your date. For example, if you planned a game night for your group date you can you play in teams, consisting of you and your date versus another couple, hence the term paired off.

In the End
In the end don't forget your main goals and reasons why you are taking on the journey of dating, whether currently it is a with one person or a variety of people. Do your best, have fun, be you true to who you are and everything will work out!