Maybe you've been dating for a year, maybe you've only been dating for a few weeks. There is one thing that doesn't change throughout the course of your relationship -- guys hate "crazy girlfriends." Of course, some guys are quick to slap the "crazy" label on any girl, but here are some no-no's that I've learned from listening to my male friends' and my boyfriend's horror stories.
Don't bring up marriage. Seriously. This is the biggest mistake I hear about from guys. Lifelong commitment is a scary concept for both guys and girls, but this is the worst way to let him know you love him. Yeah, you're in college, and you may think it's time to start thinking about marriage. It's not. Even what may seem like a completely innocent statement to you may be a be-all-end-all for him. "Baby, look at my wedding board on Pinterest," or "Can we honeymoon in the Bahamas?" are enough to send him to the door. I'm not saying it's shameful that you want to marry your boyfriend, but just make sure you've been with him long enough to really know what it would be like to be married to him. If he wants to marry you, he will bring it up. And let him do so first. The marriage debacle has ruined what could have been a great relationship in the eyes of many of my male friends.
Don't rush affection. Physical and emotional. It's easy to feel overwhelmed with lovey-dovey feelings towards your boyfriend when you first start dating. You don't need to put much power to those feelings, at first. You have your whole life ahead of you to declare your love towards another person -- instead, focus on having fun and memorable times with your boyfriend. Go on a hike, go out with a group of friends, adventure into new possibilities of making yourself a better person. He's not there to become your world. He's there to accompany you while you learn what your world is. Not to say you shouldn't show any affection -- just keep it to where he understands you like him, but you are not the type to rush into anything.
Don't stop him from "bro nights." It's important not to spend every waking moment with your significant other. Too much time with anyone can spark fights over the most minor disagreements. Instead, respect his space and yours. If he has plans with his friends, let him go out. Don't make him cancel or feel bad for wanting to spend time with the guys. You wouldn't want him to cancel on you for the guys, so why should he do that to them for you? Sure, if he's one to ditch you last minute after you've made plans with him, bring it up. But if you don't tell him you want to hang out and he says he's going out with the guys, there should be no issue. This will make his friends like you (which is super important to a guy) and they will respect your time with him since you have respected his time with them. Instead, use this time to hang out with your girlfriends and relax.
Don't go out of your way to stalk his exes, or question his past. It may be tempting to dive into the past life of your boyfriend, and do some digging on social media to find out if that monumental ex was prettier than you. When does this ever turn out good? Let him know that you will not question his past so long he does not question yours. Everyone has made mistakes, and sometimes if you know every little infraction your boyfriend has made in past relationships, it makes you question your own. Rather, keep it to the very important things. If he thinks you should know, he will respect you enough to tell you. But don't dig into his past because you feel you need to know everything. He will respect you for not worrying about the small things, and this a genuine sign of maturity.
Don't accuse him of cheating unless he gives you a reason. So, he said "hi" when he ran in to a girl he used to talk to a year ago. Or maybe even his best friend is a girl. This doesn't mean he is unfaithful. He chose you for a reason, and that should be enough validation for you to not need to question or get jealous over little things. Save the drama for serious altercations. Insecurity is a bad sign in a relationship. If you can't trust him, how is he supposed to feel comfortable with who he is? You can be positive he gets annoyed too when the cute guy waiting your table on a date is being overly sweet to you. But, it's not serious. Don't bring up the small things, and he won't either.
There's a good balance between being a crazy girlfriend and being a doormat. Don't let him get away with whatever he wants or let him use you, but on the other side, you can't be so controlling he feels he can't even leave the house. If you find that balance, he'll hold you in a light that he hasn't held a girl in before.
