Should you be having a relationship in college? What are the pros and cons of being attached at this stage in your life?
Pro 1: You won’t be alone through the ups and downs of college
Every step along the way, you’ll have someone to encourage you to be strong and to persist through the changes and challenges of being in college.
Pro 2: You get to enjoy the best things in life with someone you care about
Some things feel way better when you do it with someone you love, such as travelling, cooking, cycling, going to concerts, or simply walking in the park. You can do seemingly silly but extremely fun things together without worry about being judged. You can also study together!
Pro 3: You’ll learn a lot about yourself
Being in a relationship reveals things about your personality like nothing else can. For instance, you’ll learn whether you’re really patient or lacking in understanding, whether you easily accept someone’s weaknesses and differences from yourself, etc. Being in a relationship helps tremendously in identifying your strong and weak points, from which you learn to improve and become a better person.
Having a relationship in college also teaches you to open up and accept that you’re vulnerable when facing life and other people, instead of closing up on others and living inside an imaginary shell.
Pro 4: You won’t have to stress out over physical appearances
Your significant other will love you the same whether you’re in suit or shirt, skirt or shorts. It doesn’t matter as long as your significant other understands your character, ability, and what is truly special about you.
Pro 5: You can be yourself around your significant other
Life can get complicated and especially demanding in college. To some of us, having the chance to be ourselves around even just one person is deeply reassuring and comforting.
Con 1: You may get stressed out by the difficulties of keeping a relationship
Starting a relationship is not tough; keeping it is. You’ll have to try to understand your significant other and accept his/her weaknesses or different opinions, personality and way of life from your own. Sometimes things get stressful and you face the choice of whether to break up and face a heartbreak or continue and learn to accept each other.
Con 2: Long-distance relationship may happen
We all know the classics. Keep the string attached and wait for the storm to be over or set your significant other free. Either way, it’s gonna be a tough decision.
Con 3: You’ll have to learn to prioritise
It is not uncommon to find couples struggling to find time to spend with their significant other when they have to prioritise their studies and/or leadership positions. You’ll have to be ready to make difficult decisions regarding whether to focus to your studies or to spend time with your significant other, especially when he/she needs emotional support.
Con 4: Things are not the same and changes may become overwhelming
Whether you just started having a relationship or are trying to get over one, there are drastic changes in your daily life that you’ll have to learn to get used to.
Con 5: You may not have enough private time for yourself
Trying to spend time on your studies, internships, part-time jobs and your relationship may eventually lead to you not having enough time for yourself. In more serious cases, students suffer from depression from not spending enough time to take care of themselves and understanding the pressure they’re under.
Eventually, being in a relationship in college is not a purely logical choice that can be easily decided on by reasoning. It is an important decision and keep in mind that it takes emotional and mental strength to keep your relationship strong. It is entirely possible, however, to have a lasting relationship while still maintaining performance in your studies, and how rewarding can it be!
Sources:
http://www.hercampus.com/love/relationships/what-expect-your-first-college-relationship-how-make-it-work
http://www.srtrends.com/pros-cons-of-being-in-a-relationship-in-collegeYoung Love: How Falling In Love In College Can Teach You How To Open Up
http://thecollegecrush.com/monday-makeover-are-you-actually-ready-for-love/
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