Would this be a terrible way for me to lose my virginity?

Okay, I'm 18 and a virgin (female). I've had many opportunities in the past to lose my v-card, but I've always turned the guy away because I wasn't feeling it and I figured the guys were just dating me for sex. And I've been right about them too, because they leave me afterwards. But I've been dating this guy for about a month and I really like him. He is very sweet, respectful, and I've never been treated this well by a guy before. I'm thinking that I'm in a good place in my life to lose my virginity. It just feels like I'm in a good place to explore life and try new things. In your opinion, do you think it would be a bad idea for me to lose my virginity? I don't really have any religious ties to it, and I realize that times have changed. I just don't want to go into college totally inexperienced, and I know it's supposed to hurt a lot at first. If I can get the painful sex out of the way sooner, I feel like it will be much better for me later in life. What are your thoughts? Thanks.