Do yourself a favor and put your goals first. You’re not doing it in a selfish way, just in a “I don’t want to miss out on this dope opportunity and be crippled with regret for the rest of my life” kind of way.
There’s no “correct” age to start dating. It will happen when it happens, and until then, all you should do is remain open to the possibility of new relationships.
To make things worse, my back-to-back Valentine’s Day dates with two different Hecht residents did not go as planned. They left me hungry for more. A lot more.