Whether you're the single friend, or the friend with a boyfriend, balancing can be difficult in college with everyone pulling you in a million directions. Here are some ways girls with boyfriends can successfully juggle each part of their lives without turning it into a whole circus.
Don't assume he's invited.
When your friend asks you to go for dinner with a bunch of other girls, don't say, “I can bring [insert bf's name here] right?" She will be forced to say yes for fear of starting a fight, but in all honesty, no one wants him there; it's girls night! The dinner will continue and everyone will have a great time, but you will be left clueless that you put your friend in an awkward situation. For future dinners, your friend may be hesitant on inviting you in fear of your boyfriend tagging along.
Don't ramble about him.
Being in a relationship means getting a certain amount of hours of free passes for rambling about your significant other to your best friend. But there are only so many hours in a day, and when most of them are spent listening to the endless saga that is your love life, one can get the feeling their single drama isn't good enough. Being single is actually just as stressful, but hearing someone complain about having a boyfriend makes a single girl start dancing like Beyoncé... All the single ladies, all the single ladies!
Don't tell him our secrets.
This guy could be the love of your life, but he definitely isn't mine! If your single friend tells you about that time she ate a whole bag of Oreo's while watching "Sex and the City," odds are that was for your ears only. Boyfriends come and go, but Oreo's are forever.
Don't PDA like you just don't care.
Going out shouldn't feel like chaperoning a middle school dance. Arms length apart please, kids! You have ample amount of time to yourself, and I know this because you ditched me last weekend to do just that. When in public, caressing your boyfriend like he is the last puppy to ever live, can reach the point of “gagful," a word I just invented. If your friends yell “Get a room!" and the whole group laughs, what everyone really means is, “Please go stroke each other elsewhere so I can enjoy my life."
Don't fight in front of us.
The most awkward thing in the world is watching a couple fight. Your friend looks for you to be on her side, when you really agree with her boyfriend. Soon, you are in the middle of a feud, forcing you to imagine yourself running away screaming with your hands flailing in the air. Fighting in public is annoying regardless, but when it's a couple, it's even more unbearable.
Don't become a hermit.
No one invites the hermit to the party, no, people invite the flamingo or the peacock to the party! An animal who runs free and beats to their own drum. Having the mind set of "Oh, I already have a boyfriend, so there's no need to go out anymore," is insulting to your friends who still want to see you. Being a hermit may be easy, but let's face it; being a flamingo or a peacock is a lot more fabulous.
Juggling can be tough, but there are many other aspects of a circus that someone with a boyfriend can do. It's called the balancing act. Climb up on that tight rope, and walk the line at a steady pace, stopping to spend time with friends and build a relationship that you care about. Your single friends are juggling too, but just make sure they don't have to juggle you.
