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Walking to the bar with an unusually perky attitude, I'm gleaming with confidence that my goals will be met: I will buy a guy a drink tonight. I have to repeat in my head: I will buy a guy a drink.

The frustration of playing eye games with a stranger all night, only to leave unsatisfied because neither of you had the courage to cross the subtle-yet-sexy line of flirtation, has become somewhat unbearable. It is no wonder that, according to a 2008 survey conducted by Strategy One research, only 13 percent of girls said guys "get it" when the women hint that they're interested.

What more can girls do to reach even the casual conversation level at a bar? Based on a recent survey by the dating service It's Just Lunch, 96 percent of single men say they "love it" when a woman makes the first move. So, here I am, with my girlfriends, ready to exhibit pure coolness and not only strike up some banter, but also buy that first round of drinks.

After talking to my 25-year-old friend, Ricky, he reveals that it would definitely be refreshing if a girl bought him a drink and she ended up being cool. "It would be something I would want to share with my friends the next day," he says.

Click here to read whether this strategy worked.




And so my research begins. Attempt one: I mosey over to the bar and see a guy drinking what appears to be water. My initial assumption was confirmed as he begins to tell me how he'll be driving his girlfriend home soon.

Attempt two: I "accidentally" bump into a stranger, and before I'm done apologizing I'm at the bar ordering two drinks. I can see in his eyes that he is a bit taken aback by my outrageous offer, but nevertheless we start talking. He soon after offers to buy me a drink, but I decline.

I have done my investigation. It seems that with guys being so oblivious to any hint of attraction a girl might make, the only solution is to be a bit more aggressive. Corey, 26, says she doesn't typically operate this way in a bar, but thinks that guys would appreciate it. "I give credit to girls who go after guys they think are attractive," she says. "I find nothing wrong with that."

With girls becoming progressively more assertive and guys becoming less aware of what's right in front of them (or, let's face it, just plain lazy), perhaps the line between what's normal and peculiar will tighten and create an environment where it is not only acceptable for girls to make the first move, but, in fact, the standard.

Anna Brand is a senior at Syracuse University.