How to Prepare For a Date

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You've snagged a date with someone special, and now you've got the chance to make an impression. Preparing for a date can be nerve-wracking, but can be approached in a step-by-step manner that'll assure you make it to your date fully prepared. The rest is up to you.

Steps

Watch the video below.
Do some homework. In the days before a date, take time out to catch up with current events and hot topics. These are great conversation starters and you will be able to impress your date with your knowledge. Try to remember as much as you can about previous conversations together so you can follow up on them. Have a couple of funny stories or conversation pieces up your sleeve in case you need them. There are now many dating advice online forums and sites that one can access in the internet. The problem with some of these sites is that they are not actually made by professionals who have studied and researched their dating advice. It would be prudent to also consider the legitimacy of the dating advice as well as the veracity of it.
Start looking and feeling good in advance. Set time aside for exercise in the days before the date, whether it's yoga or push ups. Eat well and get plenty of sleep.
Pick your clothes early. You should have several outfits laid out before the day of the date. This way you won't have any last minute panics when you realize you have a spaghetti stain down your favourite shirt. Plus, it will allow you to try on a few different looks on the day of the date and see which one fits your mood most comfortably at the time.
Clean up on the day of the date. Take a nice, long shower or bath. Ensure you have clean hair and nails. You should smell good, but not overpowering. Avoid heavy perfumes and aftershaves, especially if your date could be allergic. Ladies, go easy when applying make-up and aim for a natural but groomed look. If things go well he will eventually see you without make-up - and you will want him to recognize you at that point. Shortly before leaving for your date, floss and brush your teeth thoroughly.
Think positively. You're going out to enjoy yourself, after all. Don't start worrying about what disasters could happen, because that way they are far more likely to. If you are getting nervous, call a good friend, watch your favourite comedy show or listen to upbeat music. Loosen up. Focus on having fun and you inevitably will.
Be punctual. Give yourself plenty of time to get to your rendezvous. Keeping your date waiting will start things off on the wrong foot.

Video

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Tips

Relax, be yourself, and be confident. More specifically, in addition to "being confident," you should "know your success" (success breeds confidence). Instead of "being yourself," try "being your best self".
Sometimes even with the best preparation, your date might turn out awful. You may wish to have a "back out plan" in case this happens. Find a good friend you can call and then he/she can call you back in a few minutes so you can say you have some sort of crisis you need to attend to. You could also try being an honest person and say that you don't think it's working out, and that you need to leave early. Be prepared to contribute to the date and excuse yourself.
For a first date its a good idea to have a lunch date instead of a dinner date. That way, if you have an awful time at least you didn't waste a whole evening.
Bring a condom. Whether you plan to use it or not, it is better to be prepared than to end up with responsibilities you didn't want. But, remember that you don't have to have sex.
When getting ready to go on that first date there are many things to consider. First of all there are the questions about where to go, what to wear, transportation, etc.
Make sure you plan what your going to wear and always make an effort, theirs no second chance to make a first impression on your date.

Warnings

Never put yourself in a compromising situation--most people are trustworthy, but "date rape" is unfortunately a real occurrence. Always have a first date in a public setting (restaurant, movie, club, mall, etc.) Only accept drinks served from a bottle or can opened by you or in front of you, or by a third party (like a bartender). Unfortunately, there are drugs ("date rape drugs") that can be added to ANY drink without any noticeable difference in taste. Some people use these drugs to put women (and sometimes men) in precarious situations. If you turn away from your drink, get into the habit of covering it with your hand, as it only takes a second to slip something into a drink. If you are suspicious, get a new drink.
If you feel something's wrong, trust your instincts and politely but firmly end the date.
Be sure to always have a cell phone and cash for a cab so that you never feel you have to rely on your date for a ride home.
Always be careful about alcoholic intake.
Don't end a date by saying your mom just died in a car accident cause chances are, he'll want to accompany you to the funeral.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

[http;//www.strugglefreedating.com]- www.strugglefreedating.com for more tips of dating
Prepare For A Date (video) - Original source of this article. Shared with permission.
Topics to talk about on a date (article) - Presents different topics to talk about on a date
Tips For Dating For some resources about First Date Tips and Online Dating Tips

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Steps

Be honest with the with yourself about the kind of person you are looking for. Don't settle if you can't find anyone you find interesting in the profiles.

Put up several recent photographs of yourself -- in both indoor and outdoor light, also a variety of full body shots as well as close ups of your face. Do not put the classic "Myspace angle" photos or any glamour pictures.

Don't put all of your focus on online dating. Don't seem so desperate that the internet is your last and only hope to find that someone special. For all you know the right person is out at the library, coffee Shop, or buying groceries. You have to be positive and think that way as well. People are not attracted to desperation.

Check a few times a week to see if anyone new has shown up that may interest you.

Do not hound the same person over and over, send them a message or two and after that leave them alone if they don't return your contact -- they probably aren't interested.

When writing things about yourself tell people what kind of person you are looking for. Be humorous and upbeat, but be clear about what your interests are and the type of individual you are interested in. If you won't date a smoker, a drinker, someone with children, make that clear (but not rudely) in your profile. Keep in mind that some smokers, drinkers, single parents may still (for whatever reasons) contact you.

Some of online dating websites are becoming more sophisticated in the way they match up people, but that does not mean that they cannot make mistakes. Always check someone out for yourself (Google, Dogpile, etc.) before you accept a date from them. Just because an emotionless computer thinks you may be a good match for someone does not mean that you are. Look their profile over and email/call them a few times before making the decision to meet.

Always have a phone conversation with a match before any initial meeting. Be highly cautious of anyone who does not want to speak on the phone before meeting, or comes up with repeated excuses as to why they can not meet you. Have no further contact if a match does this.

Be cautious with the information that you provide a potential match. Do not give specific details about where you live or where you are employed.

Take note of any discrepancies in the details the person provides you -- it's usually an indication that the person is misleading you.

Always have the first few meetings and dates in a public place and always let a relative or friend know where you are going and who you are meeting. Never invite someone to your home during an initial meeting. Do not drink heavily and do not allow anyone but the wait staff and yourself near your drink.

Have a friend or relative call or text you during your initial meeting to see if you're fine.

Be alert to red flags, such as a person repeatedly canceling meetings, asking for money, or pressuring you for personal information or sex (including nude photos) early in your acquaintanceship. Cut off contact completely if any of these occur.

Be optimistic and upbeat, but be realistic that even the most accurate profile and photograph does not always correlate to real life chemistry between two people. Sometimes two individuals simply won't click, but sometimes they will. Good luck!

Tips

There are a lot of dating tips about how to present your interests so that you can be matched up with someone of similar interests. Of all the dating tips I have ever seen the best ones always talk about being yourself and listing all of your interests and not just the mainstream ones . If you like walking through graveyards at night then you may want to list that, because at some point all of your interests will come out to the person you are dating. One of the best dating tips you can be given is to outline everything right up front so that there are no major surprises later on in the relationship.