About two or three months before I left for my first semester at college, I started to get the question, “Do you really want to have a boyfriend when you’re in college?” This was followed by confused looks when I said yes. The thought of ending something that made me happy just because I was going to school somewhere else made no sense to me.
The media portrays the college experience as a single person’s paradise, leaving those in relationships with boring social lives and no friends. Even scrolling through my Facebook wall I am bombarded with articles saying that if you’re in a relationship during college you are “missing your opportunity to be selfish and find yourself.” After being in a relationship during my freshman year at college, I disagree. There are many perks to being in a relationship during college that a lot of people don’t consider.
1. Avoiding the confusion of college boys
The “hook up culture” stereotype of college is alive and well, which makes dealing with boys more confusing than ever. Hearing my friends constantly have to decipher texts to figure out if a boy is actually interested in them or is just looking for a hook up makes me thankful to have my love life be stress free.
2. Always having someone to celebrate with
Whether you got an A on a paper or made a new friend in your 300-person lecture, having a significant other means a constant support system. From the biggest accomplishments to the little things, they will always be your number one fan.
3. Having consistency
College hits you with so many new things at once that sometimes it can be overwhelming. A new place, new friends, new professors, new classes... It's nice to have a consistent relationship in your life and to have someone who you know will always be there for you no matter what.
4. Always having a best friend
In college you have a lot more alone time than in high school, and it's easy to start to feel lonely. Having a significant other guarantees that you always have someone to call or someone to share that hilarious Facebook meme with. Being able to 100 percent be yourself around someone with no secrets is a special thing that you probably won’t have with that boy you spent an hour with at a party.
5. It's still possible to have fun
The biggest misconception about dating in college is that those in relationships can’t have any fun. This could not be further from the truth. I have never felt that I couldn’t do something that my single friends were doing because I was in a relationship. If anything, I have more fun because I don’t spend time worrying about impressing random frat boys. Always knowing you have someone who loves you at the end of a long night out is the best feeling. Being in a relationship in college is not for everyone, but I couldn’t be happier.
