It’s 9 o’clock, and the person you’ve been crushing on for months walks into the classroom. They smile at you when they walk in but then take a seat a few rows away from you.

Your heart is about to jump out of your chest, and your mind begins racing—do they like me? What does that mean? How can I find out?

Well, here are some methods that people use to show their affection for someone else. This list should hopefully give you some things to look out for and help put your mind at ease.

1) Going beyond the surface – They are going to be interested in getting to know you beyond the small talk. They won’t simply ask how you are and then rush off you can get the answer out.

They might ask you what you did over the weekend or your opinion on one of the latest news stories.

Unless the person is extremely outgoing and attentive, they probably won’t spend this time on every conversation they have each day unless they are looking to gain a deeper connection.

2) Physical contact – This can be a great way for someone to show that they like you. The approach to physical contact can range from subtle to obvious, depending on the personality of the person.

Someone who is shy may have to rely on smaller, less obvious forms of physical contact. Their hand might linger just a few seconds longer when they are tapping you on the shoulder to get your attention or handing you a stack of papers.
On the flip side, someone who is outgoing may grab your sides in order to ‘scare’ you. They may even be bold enough to wrap you in a hug if they haven’t seen you for a little while.

3) Teasing – Now, before I begin to explain this one, let me make this clear: teasing shouldn’t make you feel bad. They shouldn’t say rotten things to you and watch you get upset; that doesn’t equate to teasing as much as it does to bullying.
Instead, teasing should be light, fun and used as a different way to interact with you. They may tell you shocking jokes just to see you react, mess with your desk space at work or try to scare you.

This type of teasing should make you laugh, so don’t be afraid to put a stop to any teasing that becomes offensive.

4) Commitment – Instead of saying they want to ‘hang out’, they will call it a date. They won’t want to beat around the bush with commitment if they really like you.
You shouldn’t be left constantly guessing where you stand with someone and whether or not they really like you.
5) Nervousness – Here’s one for the people who are a little less outgoing. If someone likes you, they may get very, very nervous around you.

Nervousness can mean jumbling up words when trying to talk to you or accidentally knocking things over when you come into the room.

Take notice of how the person interacts with other people. Are they always this nervous, or do they only act this way around you? Pay attention to this, and this should clue you in on your feelings.

To finish off, it is important to keep in mind that every person shows their feelings differently, and feelings can be shown in a variety of different ways. Get to know the person and figure out how they show affection before making any conclusions.

Use these signs, as well as others, to assess whether or not someone likes you.