It's about that time for couples to address the big question: Should we break up before college?
I know this was a question I had to deal with and not an easy one at that. So, what do you usually do when you need advice? Ask someone with experience.
Let's hear it from some college students who were once in your shoes. From a survey I conducted among young adults who once faced the same question, 52% of the participants broke up with their significant other before college and 48% stayed together.
Of the 52% who broke up with their s/o, only 28% regretted their decision and 73% did not.
Of the 48% who did not break up with their s/o before college, 30% regretted it and 70% did not.
Here are some of their reasons:
The one that got away
"I started dating this guy the summer before college and the chemistry was unbelievable, we both knew there was something real between us. We decided not to pursue the relationship further because I was moving out of state in the fall and it would be harder the closer we got before then. If I move back and we're both single we're going to give it another shot but he'll definitely always be my one that got away."
Love always tries
"She's the love of my life and even though distance can be hard sometimes, it doesn't hurt to at least give it a shot."
If it's meant to be, it'll be
"Originally, we planned on ending things and just being friends. However, we decided to take a shot at staying together and being long distance. We have been dating for 3.5 years now and our relationship continues to get better, so I'm glad we decided to stay together in the end."
Everything works out for a reason
"If I didn't break up with my summer SO, then I wouldn't have found the REAL person I'm supposed to be with at college."
Distance sucks
"The distance between us really just hurt us more than anything. It tore us apart and we aren't even friends anymore. I obviously loved him and am glad for the time we spent together, but it kept me from being involved at college, and I regret that."
I wish I could give you a straightforward answer because that's what you want, right? I know that's what I wanted. No one wants to make a decision like this, they just want someone to tell them what to do; but this is one of those things that no one can decide for you.
The statistics speak volumes. For the question, "Did you break up before college?" results are almost 50-50. However, the consistent statistic on both ends is the person being content with their decision. Only 28% of the participants regretted breaking up or staying with their significant other. This shows that no matter what decision was made, the majority of them didn't regret their decision.
You're going to have regrets in life and that's okay. The fear of having regrets shouldn't stop you from following your heart and mind. Regretting means you know you made a mistake and mistakes are how you learn. Mistakes are how you grow.
So to the person reading this and feeling so torn about leaving for college, there isn't a simple answer. You simply have to do what's best for your relationship and after that you have to live believing you made the right choice until you're proven otherwise.
Be open to embracing college with open arms whether you're single or not.
Believe that love always finds its way back.
