You & Me: A College Romance
Love. It has never been an easy topic, but finding love in college? That’s a whole different ball game. Nowadays, it is difficult to find out what is real, what is not, and where to invest your time in someone. Especially from the ages of 18 to 22, where people are still trying to find things out about themselves. Finding love at this age is probably one of the most complicated things a person can go through, and that is completely valid. But where do people start? How does a relationship go from meeting someone to forever?
Many people find their person while they’re in college, but that doesn’t make the process any less stressful. However, there are ways to make it a little bit easier. As cliché as it sounds: be yourself. If you’re not yourself when starting a new relationship, then you’re already starting off on the wrong foot. It’s hard enough to try to find and be yourself in college, but it’s even more difficult to try to be someone you’re not. Start by being real and creating a space where you feel the most comfortable.
Next, do not go in trying to force anything. It’s extremely easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of something new, but you have to take it slow. Majority of the time, people go on multiple dates to get to know a person. Finding someone in college means you usually don’t know the person very well. Finding small things in common with someone first is key. It’ll turn into something bigger with one thing and one thing only: time. It’s hard to be patient and it’s hard to take things slow—there’s no doubt about that—but building a forever takes time.
Lastly, communication is key. Closed mouths don’t get fed and problems arise out of nothing. Relationships aren’t meant to be easy, but they can be made a little easier with an open space for healthy communication. Before using emotion over reason and causing a situation to go south, simply address the situation at its base. If something is bothering you, talk to your partner. Let them know it’s bothering you, that you want to work on it together, and that you both need to find common ground.
Forever doesn’t happen overnight. If it did then everything would last. That’s why love is so difficult when you’re in college. Trusting someone takes time, patience, and being real with each other. At the end of the day, you have to remember who you are and why you are pursuing forever with your person. These things take hard work and effort from both parties. So, at the end of the day, be true to you and—with a lot of patience, time, and communication— the rest will follow.
Written by: Madison Corley, Photography: Angel Frando, Design: Dana Dang, Social Media: Lindsey Rogers