Aries is one of the most impatient signs, so first dates can be a challenge. You have a fear of being stuck on a bad first date, already knowing there will not be a second, but not being able to exit politely for another hour or so. Even if you’re excited about the date, this fear of being stuck if it goes poorly will still be in the back of their minds.

That’s pretty much everyone’s worst nightmare, but Aries’ impatience makes it doubly painful. Once you know that you’re not interested, you’re ready to disappear. Waiting feels like torture.

Still, if you can manage to stick it out, you’ll realize how important good dating karma is — and you might be able to turn your date into a friend.

Rooted in logic, Taureans have a very pragmatic and slow approach to forming romantic attachments. You aren’t looking for a spark on date one. Instead, you see the first date as simply the first step to establishing a relationship... but it’s definitely not your favorite step.

You don’t like the casual beginnings of new relationship when neither of you have committed to one another yet. Though you respect the process and would never want to dive headfirst into an ill-fated fling, you only really start to embrace their romantic side when you feel comfortable around someone. That doesn’t usually happen until later on.

In that sense, Taureans might start to see first dates as a necessary evil, rather than a fun introduction. To get past that, you’ll need to find ways to make the date romantic in other ways — picking a candlelit restaurant with candles or a place with a dance floor can help.

Geminis do not like committing to one set plan. You prefer to keep your options open, so you can always do the thing that interests them most. That said, a first date on a Friday night is probably a Gemini’s worst nightmare — especially if it’s planned a week in advance. What if something better comes up in the meantime?

Generally speaking, plans and obligations can make you feel cornered — and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll decide to flake. If you do show up, however, the date needs to be something exciting and interesting. If it’s not, you’ll dread it.

They can sidestep this problem by planning fun first dates. A silent disco or speakeasy you actually want to go to is the perfect chance to change your tune.

Cancer is probably the most emotional sign, and they like to ~feel~ their feelings. Their worst nightmare is having to hold back emotionally. But first dates aren’t the best time for a deep dive into your complicated relationship with your mom or how betrayed you felt by your cheating ex. First dates are a time to take it easy and suss each other out — not to get sentimental and serious.

The thought of having to curb their emotional side, even if it’s just for an hour or two, makes first dates a pain for Cancers.

The solution is pretty easy: Call a friend you can get ~emo~ with on the way home. That way, you can embrace your feels without overwhelming your first date.

Leos love the spotlight, and there’s nothing wrong with that. "They light up a room and will always find the spotlight,” astrologer Michaela Carey previously told Elite Daily. Although your natural showmanship might catch your date’s eye, putting on a performance won’t really get you far when it comes to establishing a romantic connection. On a first date, it has to be more of a give-and-take.

That said, going into date one, Leos know they have to share the attention, so you might be hesitant to sign up for a first date unless you’re 100% interested. It’s not worth sharing the spotlight with just anyone!

When it comes to dating, it’s a good idea to be selective. Having high standards (and sticking to them) is one way to find what and who you’re looking for. But first dates are not always the best time to be particular.

Despite what Virgos may think, first impressions aren’t everything, and being too quick to write someone off will not make you any happier. Although it doesn’t come from a bad place, it can make dating — especially first dates — a real challenge.

So for Virgos, it’s important to reserve their judgment until the end of the date. Let the night (or afternoon or morning) run its course first, then decide how you feel. You might just find that your date redeems themselves before the date is through.

First dates make everyone a little nervous, and it’s easy for them to bring out your insecurities. For Libras, who already tend to get bogged down in other people’s opinions of them, this can be a really stressful aspect of first dates (and dating in general).

These insecurities play into how they perceive their date, as well, making it difficult for Libras to distinguish between a benign comment and an insult.

The upside is that the more first dates they go on, the less these insecurities will come up. Practice makes perfect.

First dates are mostly small talk. Sure, there might be a few deeper moments or opportunities to create inside jokes, but that’s not the norm. But Scorpios definitely wish it was. “In relationships, Scorpios seek emotional depth and intimacy over everything,” Chelsea Jackson, astrologer and cosmic writer, previously told Elite Daily.

Scorpios do not want casual conversations about the weather, which makes first dates a real struggle.

Most first dates involve coffee, drinks, or dinner, but that’s not a Sagittarius’ idea of a good time. As one of the most adventurous signs of the zodiac, they would much prefer a spontaneous concert or a spur-of-the-moment hike to a waterfall.

Of course, there’s no rule saying that you can’t have an adventure on your first date. It’s just not likely to happen with every person you meet.

Capricorns thrive on success, and they see most things as a competition — including first dates. Capricorns want to appear as the most charming, charismatic, and successful version of themselves on every first date, which can be... exhausting.

If you forget to see first dates as fun and exciting and focus solely on the logistical aspects that make you a “good dater,” you’re not going to be enjoying yourself. Plus, most of your dates will probably pick up on this vibe and shy away as well.

If you want to start having a better time on these dates (who doesn’t?), try to focus less on “winning” your date and more on experiencing it.

Aquarians are pretty unconventional daters. For example, instead of asking about their date’s weekend, they’d prefer to discuss a deep philosophical concept at length. That makes first dates a challenge for Aquarius — they never know how their date will respond to the more serious, unique side of them. And that concern grows even deeper if they really like their date and the stakes are higher.

Although that worry will likely always tug at the back of their minds, if Aquarians can step out of themselves a little bit, they’ll have a much better time dating. “Aquarius will have more fun in relationships if they practice going with the flow of their feelings instead of always trying to make logical sense of them,” Nina Kahn, astrologer, wrote for Bustle.

For Pisces, actually getting to the date is the hardest part. It can be seriously tempting to cancel. (In fact, they’ve already probably planned out three different excuses.) That means, if they actually do end up going on the date, there will always be a little piece of them wondering if they should have just flaked.

But giving their date a chance is the only way to see if anything real could come of it. And that’s worth sticking to your plans. "Pisces has to realize that sometimes sticking to a plan can have a better outcome," Lisa Barretta, astrologer and author of Conscious Ink, told Bustle.