Jules Forrest/Photo Editor
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Most of us have heard the old phrase, “It’s not the size of the ship, but the motion of the ocean.” As college students, it can be difficult to determine whether or not you — or your boyfriend — are well-endowed. And for those who aren’t, the phrase above can help with confidence issues. But are these adages true? Does size matter?

Maria, a junior majoring in human development, thinks it does. [Due to the nature of this article, names have been changed to protect the privacy of those interviewed.]

“I know people say size doesn’t matter, but you don’t see any girls buying two-inch vibrators,” Maria said. “And I don’t see any companies making them.”

The debate over penis size and sexual pleasure is one that puts guys under the spotlight, and leaves them self-conscious about their package.

But according to www.askmen.com, this issue seems to be more of a concern for men than it is for women. In a worldwide study, 85 percent of women were satisfied with their partner’s size while only 55 percent of men were OK with their own size. But it does point out that the average penis size is between 5.5 and 6.2 inches, leaving many males who fall below this range insecure.

The site goes on to supply males with several comforting words on how to get past their insecurities, mentioning tips like concentrating on their confidence and pointing out the fact that women can’t accurately determine your size anyway. Seriously, girls aren’t bringing rulers into the bedroom.

But Jack, a senior majoring in history, finds not worrying about size is easier said than done.

“Guys know girls talk about it, and it can be embarrassing,” Jack said. “The worst part is that there’s really nothing that can be done about it, so we just have to deal with it and hope we’re better than the last guy.”

While a girl will discuss her partner’s size with her friends, she can only compare it to past experience and information she gets from peers or the Internet. So for those guys who are less-than-confident with their size, don’t sweat it.

“Everyone has a different opinion,” Maria said. “If it’s too big, it can hurt. If it’s too small, it sucks regardless, but who’s to say what’s actually big or small besides national polls and Cosmo? It’s really subjective.”

Most women don’t understand why men are concerned about the size of their penis. For girls, the only close comparison would be breast size — after all, very few girls want to be flat-chested. But with Victoria’s Secret Bombshells, a B-cup can fake its way to a C as long as the shirt stays on. And women can opt for plastic surgery to enhance their assets. Breast size is a much easier fix than penis size.

For guys, the size of their love muscle is something that can’t really be faked. And those penis pumps don’t actually do much.

So guys, if you find yourself concerned about whether you match up to your peers, sorry, but there’s nothing you can do. Just try to remember there’s more to you than your package. And if that doesn’t work, just make sure you hide anything your girl can measure you with.