Valentine’s Day is approaching and I, for one, do not have a partner to spend it with here in Ames. Don’t worry, this is not my lonely heart’s ad; this is me passing on some tips I have learned from friends over the years on how to spend your Feb. 14 without a partner.

Ashley Eland-Smithburg, senior in apparel, merchandising and design, and Lauren Pina, junior in apparel, merchandising and design, have very different plans this year.

Pina is in a relationship but has an online test on the holiday’s evening.

“Apparently my boyfriend has a couple of surprises arranged for me throughout the day, so I’m definitely looking forward to what he has planned,” Pina said.

Eland-Smithburg, on the other hand, is happily single and said, “On Valentine’s Day, my friends and I like to make delicious treats, drink wine, watch movies and toast to the single life.”

Some of us have boyfriends or girlfriends in other places, and some of us are singletons, but either way, this year we should not be moping about on our own. Plenty of the activities you would do with a partner are activities you could do with friends, so why not show friends some love this year? Girl dates and guy nights are a fun new trend and a great way to make your friends feel appreciated and to get rid of those “Bridget Jones” blues.

Celeste Donati, senior in psychology, is planning on a girl date this year. With the idea being that Valentine’s Day is what you choose to make it, she felt it wasn’t just for couples. “I’m not making it a night about being single. I’m making it a night about my friends”

An informal survey of some single ISU men revealed they are doing much the same things and treating Valentine’s Day like a normal Thursday, chilling with friends and watching basketball with a few beers.

A girl date night or a guys’ night could mean dinner and a movie, staying in with a DVD and Chinese takeout, or simply arranging to go to someone’s place and cook a fun meal. Match.com may not be successful for everyone, but I bet a group night would be just the ticket for the majority of us.

For those who want to try something new, why not do it this Valentine’s Day? Options available include Mug Night, or better yet, one of Thursday’s new releases, like “Safe Haven,” “A Good Day to Die Hard” or “Beautiful Creatures.”

For some, maybe a “Die Hard” marathon is in order to prepare for the next film, but for the Pinterest types out there who prefer something artsy, you can follow the trend by making each other gifts or by making things for the apartment. If you do go the movie route, however, options may include twilight and other movies filled with lust-worthy lads. Especially given that the latest “Twilight” movie will be showing Feb. 14 to 17 in Carver 101.