In middle school, life was simple. Friends were forever (and you had necklaces, anklets and even t-shirts to prove it), Britney Spears was still sane and when a boy wanted to be your boyfriend, he simply asked: “Will you go out with me?”

Now, we’re in college and times have changed quite a bit. You aren’t as close with your high school gal pals (in fact, there are a few you haven’t spoken to or seen in months!) and Britney Spears has gone off the deep end: wigs, umbrellas and all. And that boy who’s been staying over the last few nights? You have no idea if he’s actually your boyfriend.

There are no “rules” for dating once you leave high school. There is no magic guidebook. There is nothing, and no one, out there that can tell you exactly what dating means in college. And more importantly, there is no magic number of days, weeks or months that officially makes you and that boy you’ve been seeing an item.

So how do you get from that casual hook up stage to that snuggling-on-the-couch-every-free-moment-you-have-together stage? When is it okay to start calling that boy your official boyfriend? When do you change your Facebook status? And how exactly do you go about talking this over with your partner?

Let’s just say that it took a little over two months for me and my current beau to confirm our relationship – both in person and on Facebook. We still had tons of fun for those two months, regardless of the fact that we weren’t “official”. But it seems that dating in college is different for every couple. Having a special someone in college that you can kiss, hug and snuggle with is a huge feat in and of itself. So go ahead and enjoy whatever company you keep, with or without that coveted “title”.