I was at a local bar with friends, when an attractive young male caught my eye. I smiled. He smiled. We moved closer towards one another. I opened my mouth to say hi. He put his Miller Lite draft to his mouth, belched, and said, "Sup?" End of story.

Is it just me or is chivalry dead? And if not, where are the good guys hiding? People always discuss the seemingly scientific truth about the sexes: Young men are less mature than young women. Furthermore, as my friend who always offers sage-like advice insists, "Men and women speak two different languages."

In college, the gaps in maturity and breeches in communication materialize nearly every day between males and females. The lack of maturity of a college male (my apologies for the generalizations, but please bare with me) is nearly transparent--just look for the beer funnel draped around his neck. 

However, it's the recent post-graduates you must examine more closely. Sometimes the guise of adulthood masks the sixteen-year-old hiding inside, and that can certainly throw you for a loop.

Upon graduation, I entered into my first adult relationship as an "adult." Essentially, the proverbial phrase "don't dip your pen in company ink" came to life and slapped me in the face for not listening. At the time, though, I felt I had made a smart choice.

Fresh out of college, the majority of my time was devoted to my new job. Dating someone at work seemed like I was killing two birds with one stone so to speak. The boyfriend was at the workplace, so essentially I was spending my time valuably both with him, as well as with my work. My rationale seemed pretty solid back then. Needless to say, I'm now single. 

Since then, I've been on a blind date. Despite the stigma (believe me, it stings to actually admit this was my "rebound" method), it was not nearly as awkward as expected. My aunt introduced me to a fifth-year senior at Northeastern, majoring in pre-med, with aspirations of becoming a surgeon. He seemed quite strapping at the time, and I was interested.

Everything went well, and we hung out on several occasions amid friends at a local bar. Gradually though, the calls and text messages came later and later. Instead of calling me at 7:00 p.m. to see what I was doing that night, I was called at 2:00 a.m. A bootycall I am not, and thus, the "courtship" ended there.

One of my guy friends has a simple response whenever I vent about not being able to meet a decent guy in a 60-mile radius of where I live. "Just wait until you move out of your parents' house." I refused to settle for that answer so I thought long and hard.

I asked my friends in successful relationships for advice.  I read magazine articles. I read books. I asked my parents. I asked the homeless man outside my work (not really, but sadly, I was tempted). Several debates and deep conversations later, I arrived at two answers which, if I do say so myself, make a whole lot of sense.

First, mutual friends are a great resource. They can tap into a dating pool that has incredible potential, and the common "friend's friend" situation offers accountability and credibility. Your friends want the best for you, so any friend of theirs has the possibility of being a friend of yours--or even more.

                                                 The Great Outdoors

With the summer almost here, heading into to the great outdoors requires more effort, but can offer better results. One bonus to being active is the fit men that come with the territory. Activities that encourage teamwork-- such as a whitewater rafting trip with friends, or rock climbing-- almost guarantee an atmosphere for socializing.

Besides, if you can find someone rocking a helmet and chin strap attractive, imagine what he looks like in a pair a jeans and a t-shirt.  Plus it's a new adventure, and you'll feel accomplished afterwards, even if meeting someone doesn't work out.

Immersing yourself in activities you enjoy with people you love is key. You cannot be on the prowl for some knight in shining armor because you'll inevitably be looking in all of the wrong places (like your workplace). What's important is finding someone you can spend your free time with doing things you both love. My friends and I already have a camping trip planned this summer, and rafting tops the itinerary.

Single ladies, myself included, should keep this in mind: Just as boys can hide themselves behind pin-striped suits and briefcases, so too, can knights in shining armor disguise themselves in helmets and life vests. At least, that's what I'm banking on for the time being.

By Jamie Wilson

Jamie Wilson is a native of Braintree, Massachusetts, and a recent graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University. She currently works as an assistant editor at a publishing house in Boston.