Relationships in College
Having a relationship while in college can be a lot of fun and it’s nice to have someone you can spend time with and get to know while working towards a common goal of graduating with some sort of degree. While you can have fun, you’re still in a relationship that needs work from both partners, and most of us are still trying to figure out the things that we want and how we want to go about relationships. So, what are some of the things to pay attention to when in a relationship?
- Being yourself. I know that’s one of things that everyone says over and over again whenever you’re in a relationship, but it’s the truth! You sometimes put up a wall whenever you start dating someone new as a way to make sure that your partner is only seeing the best of you, but that will only work for so long, so sometimes just taking a leap and slowly letting your wall down is a great way to see how things will work out.
- Communication is key! If you’re not able to communicate with your partner about anything you’re not really able to get any work down within the relationship. That includes being able to open up about what your boundaries are to make sure that they’re aware of what you are or aren’t comfortable with. If you can’t even communicate your boundaries, you might want to take a step back and make sure you’re putting yourself first. Having open communication about everything helps build the bond that you’re making with your partner. When you’re open, your partner is able to help you whenever you’re struggling with anything, and the same thing goes with you being able to help your partner whenever they’re struggling with anything.
- Respecting each other's time and space. This also ties in with having boundaries, but unless you’re married or even engaged to your partner, having your separate spaces away from one another is a great thing to have. Having the time and space to yourself allows you to decompress by yourself and you’re bombarding yourself and forcing yourself to spend every waking moment with your partner, even you really do just want to spend all your time with them, alone time is also good for you.
- Prioritizing yourself. You should always come first in any relationship. If you’re with a partner that is making it have the focus all on them and none of it on you, then you might want to take a major step back and have a conversation with your partner, talk about how it’s not working for you. Don’t be afraid to address some concerns you might have.
At the end of the day, don’t forget that you’re able to reach out to friends and even family members if you’re struggling with anything. You have people in your corner that’s not just your partner, so don’t be afraid to ask when you’re unsure about anything.
