A single drop of sweat slowly falls from your face. Your pulsating chest is taken over by heavy breathing, and just when you think you are about to die, you hear: “Ready for another round?”

Duration – there is no universal answer to how long sex should last, but there is an application.

How good is the sex?

This is the first of two questions you should ask yourself when it comes to determining how long you should last in the bedroom.

It is important that the sex is good.

“It gets boring,” senior business finance major Huu Pham said.

If there is nothing exciting or enjoyable about it, then what is the point of participating in it? Imagine sex like being in a class. The more exciting the discussion in the class, the easier it is to continue to participate – the same goes for sex. If you are having good sex, then, in the words of Michael Jackson: “Don’t stop ’til you get enough.”

Freshman communication studies major Bobby Solorio agreed.

“If it is really orgasmic, then keep it going,” Solorio said.

Gentlemen, you do not want to have your lady rolling her eyes as she waits for you to finish up. Now, I am not saying that only the males are responsible for bad sex. The females are equally to blame for a poor performance.

This brings me to the second question. What mood are you in?

Junior psychology major Crystal Wheeler is married with three kids, and said it really depends on the mood. Your performance and duration is a result of your mood.

“Are the kids taking a nap?” Wheeler said, laughing.

Mood is very important. First off, when it comes to sex, guys are always in the mood for any type of sex. It is a scientific fact, trust me. However, both parties should be in the mood.

Ladies, if you are not in the mood, then do not have sex. Sorry, guys. Unless your partner is a sex addict, it will not be enjoyable for him if you are not enjoying it – which is if he can even tell. Like that classroom discussion, if you have nothing to offer to the conversation, then your teacher will sense this, as will your partner. You would probably have more fun watching “Gigli.”

It was surprising to find that most students said they would be done before the movie was over. Most students I talked to said anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour was good, and any more is too long.

When it comes down to it, there really is no minimum of how long sex should last. I say should because sex should last until both people are satisfied. Is that not our ultimate goal?

Whether you are in the mood for a night of physical ecstasy or just a quickie before work, keep your goal in mind: satisfaction. If you are not satisfied, then you are going to have to work even harder just to fake it – but that is a whole other column. Mikhail Chernyavsky can be reached at [email protected]