“Love is patient, Love is kind and is not jealous; It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4,7-8
Love is something we constantly yearn and search for within our lives. Whether it be from our family, best friends, or crush, we all search for it in one way or another.
So, rather than sending the message that college relationships are overrated, I want to shed light on the perks of having a committed relationship during college. And not only this, but having a close-knit trustworthy relationship with a group of close friends.
The bottom line is this, whether you stay with these people in the long run or not, you realize that having mature relationships in college will change your outlook on life, and in terms of a romantic relationship, your outlook on love will also change. It teaches you how to balance a commitment to a boyfriend/girlfriend, with a commitment to your best friends, your classes and everything else in the busy life of a college student.
This rings especially true for those with long-distance relationships. In college, creating the perfect balance between a boyfriend/girlfriend, best friends, class, and extracurricular activities can seem difficult. However, this balance is completely attainable and being able to maintain it is a learning experience that will carry over into other parts of your life as well. You learn how to make time for a boyfriend/girlfriend, classes, and organizations, as well as your friends.
Having committed relationships in college does the exact opposite of ruining the experience. It heightens it to a whole new level and leads you to become more committed and consistent with a variety of other aspects of your life as well. You become more motivated to work hard and focus on your classes so you can get homework and studying done efficiently, making more time for the relationships you are committed to.
You may have thought that you would be with your high school sweetheart forever, which now looking back is a laughable concept for most, including myself. The nature of these relationships is radically different. Romantic relationships drastically change as we get older and enter college; they become much less of a game and more of a real and significant part of our lives, a potential lifetime commitment. So, no doubt college is tough, time management is even harder, but every type of relationship we take on in college becomes deeper and so much more meaningful. If we can balance our lives now and remain honest and committed to our relationships we engage in even with every stress and temptation surrounding us now in college, it will be so much easier down the road.
The relationships that we form now will forever have a long-lasting and beautiful impact on us and it is up to us how we commit ourselves to them.
