The key to a successful date? Never use a dating book.

Victorya Michaels Rogers apparently didn’t get the memo when she wrote “The Automatic 2nd Date,” a guide for women on how to act on the first date in order to secure a second.

The book goes through all the details, including what to wear, how to do your makeup, what questions to ask and what topics are off-limits.

Sprinkled into the how-tos are little scenarios from the author’s personal dating experiences. These stories almost always include a tale of a date with some un-named celebrity and a big-name function, like the MTV Video Music Awards.

In the book’s eight-page introduction, Rogers writes, “During my single years, I spent a decade as a Hollywood agent. During this time, a rock star, a movie star, a gospel singer, a navy pilot, a doctor, a salesman, an accountant, a fireman, a police officer, a preacher and an athlete pursued me before I finally caught my ‘Mr. Wonderful.’ In fact, during one eight-month period, I went out with more than 100 blind dates and setups, 98 percent asking me for a second date.”

Given the amount of dates Rogers went on before writing the book, one might think that she would have a little more advice than to simply “look pretty and pretend to have confidence,” as the book suggests over and over again.

I decided to put the book to the test and go on an actual date, using the advice Rogers gives.

Before the date started, I picked out what to wear, as any woman does. Rogers suggests picking clothes that “complement rather than contradict your values (because) you’ll attract men you are proud to attract, rather than get drooled on by men you should be running from.”

I chose to wear one of my favorite band T-shirts, jeans and a black bandana. This made me feel confident because I was comfortable and could focus more on the date than worrying about my clothes.

Rogers suggests many places to find a man to date, including the workplace. I would also suggest looking in other places like the dining hall, class, the Student Recreation Center or anywhere around campus.

I found the guy I went on a date with in one of my classes. We had hung out previously and had a good time, and when he suggested that we get together during the week, I accepted the invitation.

Rogers has an entire chapter devoted to the initial conversation. In the chapter, she says that if you are confused if he is asking you out for a casual group hang out or an actual date, you should just come out and say, “Are you asking me on a date?”

Never, ever say those words. Instead, say something clever like, “Alright, it’s a date!” and smile.

The book says that if it is a Thursday or Friday when he’s asking you on a date for the weekend, you should always decline. Now, I think that this is one of the dumbest dating rules to ever exist. What if he was too busy to call you? What if he wanted to ask you in person but didn’t see you until that day? I say; if the guy seems genuine and isn’t asking you last minute because he can’t find anyone else, go for it.

Rogers says that on the first date, you are like a reporter and a psychologist, asking questions and analyzing the results. Yes, of course you should ask questions, but never make it sound like an interrogation like some of Rogers suggested questions seemed.

Questions she suggested to ask on the first date were “When did you get your first cell phone?” “What breaks your heart?” and “What was your favorite Christmas surprise?”

Some things I said on the date were more casual. For example, we were watching a movie, and I asked him if he knew the name of the actor. He said yes, and then we started naming off movies that we liked that the actor was in.

You should always keep your questions relevant and nonchalant, because you don’t want him to share everything with you right away.

Another piece of advice Rogers gives is that you should decide before the date if you are going to kiss the guy. I would disagree and agree with a line from the movie “Drive Me Crazy.”

Chase Hamilton says, “I like a girl who doesn’t decide before the date whether she’s going to kiss you or not.”

I agree with the movie. You should always just let the moment happen.

For example, on my date, we were sitting next to each other, and he just put his arm around me and leaned in. He didn’t make a big deal out of it, and neither did I.

Rogers says that if he doesn’t call, don’t stress out. I think that this is one of the only things I can agree with her on. Maybe he wasn’t right for you. Maybe the chemistry just wasn’t there. Maybe he’s a jerk.

When all is said and done though, you need to realize that a guy isn’t going to date you because of what you wear, how you did your makeup or what you talk about. A guy is going to date you because he picked you out of a crowd, and there was something about you that caught his eye. Never put him on a pedestal and never lower yourself to thinking that you can only get a guy based on your looks.

So girls, don’t go to a book looking for tips on how to date. And boys, don’t date a girl who needs a book to teach her how to date. Let things happen naturally, and your relationships will be much more satisfying in the end.