If college truly is supposed to be the best four years of your life, why is it so frowned upon to spend them in a relationship? I have been with my boyfriend since the eighth grade, and I can honestly say he has only made my first two years in college more enjoyable. So far, I think the hardest part about our college relationship is trying to have the two of us sleep comfortably in my twin bed. Either way, I wouldn’t trade my five year relationship for any amount of random frat basement hook ups, and I can’t imagine it any other way. Here’s why:
The time you spend apart only makes you appreciate the time you spend together.
Being at different schools means different schedules, and that can sometimes make it hard to see each other as often as we want. When we finally do see each other though, we’re able to make the best of it. Even if it’s only been a short week apart, I still manage to get butterflies before I get to see him again.
You learn to build up A TON of trust.
The first few months of our freshman year were tough. Neither of us knew what to expect, or how to act. It’s hard to go out and have fun if you have to be glued to your phone texting each other updates every few minutes, but it's also hard to sit around and wonder what the other is doing if they aren’t answering you. We eventually found our happy medium and realized that it might be time to loosen the leash a bit. When you can trust each other, you can both enjoy your nights out with your friends a little bit more.
You get to go out together when you visit each other.
Some of the best nights I’ve had in college have been with my boyfriend. I have learned the hard way that I can’t take as many shots as a 6-foot tall and 200-pound guy can, but there’s no harm in trying. You get to see how the parties are from his perspective, and you get to show him what it’s like to go out at your school. Even if you don’t feel like going out, you know you can stay in and watch movies without being judged for not wanting to go to a party.
You have someone to vent to about classes and friend drama and get an unbiased opinion in return.
He’s not constantly with your friends or in your classes, so you can get an outsiders opinion without having to worry about taking sides. It’s really nice to be able to call him whenever and vent. He’ll listen, even if he has no idea what you’re talking about. He will still try to be there for you, and reassure you that you’re not having a mental breakdown.
You come to the realization that this is who you want to spend the rest of your life with.
People will never stop judging your relationship and telling you that it will never last through college. After five years, and two of them being away at school, you come to the realization that this isn’t just a phase. You share a sense of satisfaction for proving those who doubted your relationship wrong. It becomes hard to imagine not having someone to talk to every day, and you realize that you’re in it for the long haul.
People will try and tell you that you can’t get the true “college experience” in a relationship. They’ll tell you that you’re too young to be in a serious relationship and that you have your whole life to be tied down. It can be tough at times, but in the end you realize that the “college experience” doesn’t have to be a stereotype, it can be whatever you want it to be. You still get to experience making new friends. You still get to discover what you want to do with your life. You still get to go to parties, eat crappy school food, and pull all-nighters studying. The only difference about being in a relationship is that you get to experience it with somebody you love.
