Dating advice for your 20s

I found this article on MSN and thought it was decent - most single people I know are in their 20s (is Todd the only person I know in 30+ and single?) so I'm posting that advice, but in the original article there's advice at all decade marks.

I disagree with the "post-college dating scene can often seem deceptively easy" quote, I'd call that b.s. I'd say I solidly follow 1/3 of their points of advice, and point #3 which I've broken in the past doesn't come up again till I'm dating someone for a while so I'm not worried about it...

The post-college dating scene can often seem deceptively easy: After all, singles are rarely looking for a long-term commitment, as Katie, 25, from Oklahoma City can attest. “I’m not sure what I want out of life or a relationship,” she says. “When I date someone new, I’m not thinking about whether or not he’d be good husband material—I just wonder if he’d be fun to hang out with!” Even so, there’s a lot this age group can do now to make the most of their freewheeling days and pave the way for regret-free romance later in life. Such as…

Expand your dating horizons
Sure, twenty-somethings date plenty of people, but often get stuck dating the same type, says Andrea Lavinthal, co-author of The Hook-Up Handbook: A Single Girl’s Guide to Living It Up. “You should definitely date as many different types as you can to get a good sense of what’s out there and to weed out the kind of people you don’t like,” she says. “At this point, dating is more about you than it is about the other person. You’re figuring out what makes you happy in a partner.”

Leave room for a love life
Dating often takes a back seat to career development for singles in their twenties. “They avoid relationships because they don’t want anything to derail their dreams,” explains Hannah Parmelee, M.S., of the Center for the Family at Pepperdine University. But blanket statements like “I’m not dating anyone for the next six months/until I get promoted” can be dangerous, warns Lavinthal. “This closes off your possibilities, which is a bad thing—especially if the right person comes along in that time period,” she explains. So instead, make a conscious decision to give your love life a little TLC by posting your profile on an online dating site or accepting at least one date invitation per month.

Think twice before moving in together
Because finances are often tight at this age, it can be tempting to move in with someone you’ve gotten serious with. But Parmelee says that cohabitation often backfires. “People end up getting stuck,” she says. “They slide into marriage not because they choose to, but because it’s just too hard to move out.” Tempted to move in together to save money? Move in with a friend instead, and keep those options open.