In high school, dating was easy because you went to class like you’d go to work: nine to five. After the bell rang your day was over, and on Friday you knew the afternoon was all yours.

College is structured a little differently. Classes may start as early as 8:00 a.m. or end at 10:00 p.m. – with any myriad number of time combinations in between. And on Fridays – well, who wants to miss that fundraiser party on Ridge and Davis?

An important component of balancing work and play in college is knowing when to do what. In previous lives, your regimented daily allotment of homework, extracurriculars and hooking up was determined by alarm clocks and lunch breaks. Now the basic freedom of determining your own schedule can undermine even your own best-laid plans.

So what can you invite someone to do on a Thursday morning? Try breakfast at Orange with a Peel, a little-known but extremely delicious breakfast-all-day style restaurant on Clark in Belmont. The restaurant itself is adorable (everything is orange-themed and decorated like bed and breakfast) and the food just makes you happy. The pancakes are huge and come with an enticing array of garnishes – from mixed fruit jellies to cinnamon and icing. They even serve the classic waffle with fried chicken. Order the “frushi” (fruit sushi). Just do it. When you’re finished, you can cross the street and get a couple of tattoos together – after all, you’re in Belmont.

Lunch dates get a little more complicated. While breakfast is good on any level of involvement (best friend, one night stand, cousin) lunch says, “I think I want to take you to dinner, but I’m not comfortable with spending that much money on you yet.”

Ultimately, lunch is a good tool for taking the next step with someone you’re interested in – but stay away from semi-fast food places like Cosi or Panera. Instead, go to Billy Goat’s Tavern on Michigan Avenue (watch out for it, you have to go underground) and marvel at one of Chicago’s most famous landmarks in dining.

If you’re ready for dinner, though, Hackney’s won’t lead you astray. The restaurant on Harms is the original – since 1939 – but there are several other locations now. The best part of the menu is “The Famous Hackneyburger” (must I explain why?). Don’t be fooled by the antiquated appearance – if you’re in Chicago, “dive” doesn’t mean a thing.

And if you really don’t have time to make it off campus, there’s always something that’s good at any time of the day.