It starts like any other break up. The same old heartbreak, tears, and nights-with-a-gallon-of-ice cream-and-Nicholas Sparks movies…but it turns into a whole new league at a small school.

It’s like being a prized attraction at a local museum. Everyone feeds off of the buzz and decides that they have to be part of it. But when you have Walmart serving as a mall in your college town, you would do the same thing.

1. The questions

You’ll be badgered with questions by randos while at the grocery store (who only know you through social media), while trying to get gas, while walking around campus, and more. Don’t be surprised when teachers start to get in on the drama too.

With questions comes judgment. Your every move will be watched while going to the dining hall or studying in the library by people to see if you will randomly burst into tears. If you do, people will judge you. If you don't? People will judge you.

2. Getting space

Stop trying because it’s simply not going to happen.

You want to have a night out with the girls to feel better? Be ready to see him and four of his friends at the bars doing the same thing because there are only 2 bars in town and nowhere else to go.

You want to go spoil yourself and get another gallon of Ben and Jerry’s from Walmart to ease the pain? You’re funny. His intramural team is already there to pick up victory frozen pizzas (because we are all poor college kids at heart) after their first basketball game.

Every single person who has a class with him, which is basically half of campus, will come up to you to tell you that they saw him today, especially when you don’t ask.

You wanna move into a new apartment complex that was just built? Yeah. Be ready for you to both move into it and see him and literally run into his friends all the time.

It's gonna suck, but you have no choice but to suck it up and smile.

3. The Jealousy Game

This is not a novel idea for most new singles, but most people forget that at small schools, everyone is connected in some way.

Sometimes this game is intentional, and other times it’s not. You might genuinely try to be innocent and just get out there to meet a new person after awhile. Be prepared because no matter which guy you try flirting with, he is probably a friend, or a friend of a friend of your ex, who will find out. Whoops.

But, it’s usually intentional. Get ready to see your ex sleep with your friends (or even pretend to sleep with them) to try to get under your skin....because there is nothing else to do in your town.

Your ex will get others to start terrible rumors about you, which will circulate throughout the entire campus. Even your teachers will probably approach you to ask if what they have been hearing is true.

You’ll feel like there’s nowhere to hide. Just wait.

4. Getting Stronger

You’ve been mentally tortured by this heartbreak because it has tantalizingly held over your head for months; however, it has transformed you. You have been made into a strong individual who doesn’t have to hide from their fears because you have literally lived through them. Maybe you can't see it yet, but trust me, others do. You can find peace with your demons, even if they constantly surround you. That, my friend, is no small task. And to think, this huge positive life transformation all came about because you broke up at a small school.

So get out there and live your life because this break up has been nothing short of a blessing in disguise.