Long-distance relationships can be tricky. They are like that one teacher at school who is tough, but also fair. Since day one, hard work and note-taking are expected. However, this is the same teacher who makes you feel great about the subject he is teaching while nurturing your intellectual curiosity. This is the teacher whom you run to for a recommendation letter. This teacher knows your potential. This teacher is honest. It may not be easy to get an A in this teacher’s class, but it is not impossible. Sure, it takes an ungodly amount of hand-raising and studying, but it’s the kind of effort that you feel great about. You would end the trimester exhausted but proud of yourself.

However, when it comes to tough teachers, there is no tougher teacher than life. Within life, people learn the most from their experiences with other people. It can be painful and difficult at times, but very rewarding at others. Like a tough teacher, a long-distance relationship reveals certain aspects of an individual that they didn’t previously know existed.

I myself am part of one. In these past few months, I’ve learnt things about myself that I never knew were there. It’s been hard at times, but it's never been impossible. I have been willing to sacrifice my ego and admit that loving a partner is not a feeling. It’s a behavior. It’s not about saying “I love you," but about sending random good morning texts, giving them a surprise call, or even mailing a care package. That is love, at least for me. I used to think that love and hate went together, like two sides of the same coin. It wasn’t until I dove into this kind of relationship that I realized how wrong I was. A few days ago, I stumbled upon this quote by Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel. “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” More often than not, people think that a relationship can’t die because they haven’t yet reached the point at which they hate each other. Bad news, friends. A relationship can die way before anyone hates anyone. A relationship will die the moment one of the members starts to feel indifferent toward the other. I did not know this, but I sure do now. I refuse to let indifference get in my way, for I view every day through a lense of optimism. To all my fellow long-distance relationship-ers, don’t let indifference take over your relationships. Fight for them, make an effort. That’s all it takes, really. Believe me, it will be worth it to get that A.