So I'm 24 years old, male, will be starting medical school this fall (took two years off to work on my application, get my life in order, etc) and I got to thinking about where I stand as far as relationships/intimacy is concerned.
I've NEVER had a relationship, either short term, or long term, with anyone of the opposite sex (I'm male) in my life. High school was a doozy, and college, well college was spent working on my AMCAS application. When I finally got the acceptance letter, I breathed a sigh of relief and started thinking about the next "stage" of life.
I've always considered relationships in college to be superfluous- for some reason I couldn't wrap my head around the idea that very young/nubile, immature, jobless, relatively uneducated, still going through the awkward stage (acne, hormonal issues, emotional instability issues) individuals could hold a serious relationship- it seemed like an excuse to find someone to have regular intimate contact with. I always thought I'd be way more confident in a relationship when I was completely independent, earning money, was highly educated, done growing both physically and mentally, and ready for a serious relationship. In addition, I was looking for more than just intimacy in a relationship.
However, now I'm 24 years old, and entering medical school this fall, and I constantly see all my other male friends in relationships (some serious, leading to marriage) others short-term, and it really gets me thinking. Have I missed out on anything? Was my line of thinking wrong? Is it because I am just not good enough/lacking something? It is only going to get worse in medical school from what I have seen- most people are either going to be married- and the ones that are single- well, who knows about them.
My culture dictates that I wait until marriage to pursue a relationship with someone- both emotional and physical- and that also played a role in my line of thinking. I recently read a Kinsey report on the latest statistics regarding relationships/partners of people in the United States, and it stated that by age 25, 98% of men and women in the United States have had some sort of relationship with the opposite sex- a staggeringly high number- and this includes all ethnicities.
Taking my anecdotal evidence and this fact into account, I have been feeling very depressed about my situation as of late. I sometimes feel that my high morals/thought processes have just been a facade/excuse to cover up inadequacies in myself, that prevented my from being desirable to females in college. I've seen plenty of males and females from my own culture in relationships- and I considered them to be the minority- however, facts obviously say otherwise.
So my question is: should I stop worrying? Medical school is on the horizon, and the last thing I need is something that causes unneeded anxiety. Are there females out there that share a similar mindset- as in waiting until late 20s, when they are settled, to pursue a relationship? Or am I in the extreme minority? Worst comes worst, I may just have to go back to my own country to find a nice wife who shares my situation. I appreciate any thoughts on the subject.
I've NEVER had a relationship, either short term, or long term, with anyone of the opposite sex (I'm male) in my life. High school was a doozy, and college, well college was spent working on my AMCAS application. When I finally got the acceptance letter, I breathed a sigh of relief and started thinking about the next "stage" of life.
I've always considered relationships in college to be superfluous- for some reason I couldn't wrap my head around the idea that very young/nubile, immature, jobless, relatively uneducated, still going through the awkward stage (acne, hormonal issues, emotional instability issues) individuals could hold a serious relationship- it seemed like an excuse to find someone to have regular intimate contact with. I always thought I'd be way more confident in a relationship when I was completely independent, earning money, was highly educated, done growing both physically and mentally, and ready for a serious relationship. In addition, I was looking for more than just intimacy in a relationship.
However, now I'm 24 years old, and entering medical school this fall, and I constantly see all my other male friends in relationships (some serious, leading to marriage) others short-term, and it really gets me thinking. Have I missed out on anything? Was my line of thinking wrong? Is it because I am just not good enough/lacking something? It is only going to get worse in medical school from what I have seen- most people are either going to be married- and the ones that are single- well, who knows about them.
My culture dictates that I wait until marriage to pursue a relationship with someone- both emotional and physical- and that also played a role in my line of thinking. I recently read a Kinsey report on the latest statistics regarding relationships/partners of people in the United States, and it stated that by age 25, 98% of men and women in the United States have had some sort of relationship with the opposite sex- a staggeringly high number- and this includes all ethnicities.
Taking my anecdotal evidence and this fact into account, I have been feeling very depressed about my situation as of late. I sometimes feel that my high morals/thought processes have just been a facade/excuse to cover up inadequacies in myself, that prevented my from being desirable to females in college. I've seen plenty of males and females from my own culture in relationships- and I considered them to be the minority- however, facts obviously say otherwise.
So my question is: should I stop worrying? Medical school is on the horizon, and the last thing I need is something that causes unneeded anxiety. Are there females out there that share a similar mindset- as in waiting until late 20s, when they are settled, to pursue a relationship? Or am I in the extreme minority? Worst comes worst, I may just have to go back to my own country to find a nice wife who shares my situation. I appreciate any thoughts on the subject.