The heady excitement of meeting a potential new romantic partner can make it easy to elevate your expectations too high when you make that first date. Many people walk into a first date with preconceived notions and walk out severely disappointed that their date didn’t meet their high standards. First of all, consider the way you and your date met – was it online? If so, then take your expectations of physical appearance down a notch. People infrequently look exactly how they do in pictures when you see them in person. Cut your date some slack if he or she has a different hairstyle or doesn’t look as thin in real life. If it’s obvious that the person’s appearance is drastically different than portrayed online, that’s one thing. But it’s not deceptive if certain aspects are inaccurate in person. Don’t be too hard on a date that’s tardy to the party.

Many people don’t want to look too eager by showing up early, and some people just have a habit of being late, regardless of where they’re going or what they’re doing. It will take a couple dates to decide whether or not the tardiness is habitual – and whether or not you can deal with it. During the date, if you notice uncomfortable periods of silence, don’t necessarily chalk the date up to a failure. Nerves get the best of everyone sometimes, and it just takes getting to know one another better to feel more comfortable around each other. If you enjoy the date’s company for the most part, give him or her another try. Ignore the advice from “dating experts,” and go with your gut when you meet a new person. Who knows whether that person will play a more important role in your life down the road?