A friend of mine came to me right before I left for college. She explained how upset she was, because her and her boyfriend had chose to end things before college, as they didn’t know if they could handle the distance. This baffled me then and continues to now as I have heard the same story from many other people around campus.

I understand the lonely nights, because I felt them too. I still do. It is never fun and it is never easy being away from the person you love the most. However, I would never give up on him in a million years because it is hard being apart. When you find someone who is willing to be your rock, your shoulder to cry on and your absolute best friend, you don’t ever let them go.

You have to decide if its worth missing that one football game to go see them, or if its worth missing that one party to stay home and Skype them. You have to work together to find that healthy medium, and find solace in the fact that college isn’t forever, and love will help you see each other again.

And I know every relationship isn’t picture perfect, and when distance is involved, we can’t expect it to be. You may have thoughts about transferring to be closer to them, or skip classes to drive up and see them when things get tough, but you have to have confidence that your relationship is strong enough to handle any rough patch. And if it’s not? Work until it is.

So many people throw away a good relationship because they aren't willing to work for it. Think about it this way: When your car runs out of gas, do you throw away the car or work to get the gas? Relationships are special and should be cherished. If you are serious about someone and think they could be the one, don’t just give up because times are tough. My relationship is worth it because we work everyday to make it perfect, and now, it is completely effortless to be happy.

Allow yourself to love. Being in love is one of the best feelings in the world. Having someone to embrace, plan a future with and to experience the world with is feeling that can’t be copied. So please don’t take love for granted, because it is hard to find your one, but once you do, it is something you should never want to lose.