To succeed in college, a lot of time goes into the classes that you take, whether it is doing homework, studying or participating in extracurricular activities. Often, many students feel buried in school work, and it can be extremely difficult to find time to maintain your relationship. In this article, I am going to give some tips on things that you can do to maintain your relationship while dealing with the stress of college.
1. Make time for each other: Find time to go on dates and do whatever you guys like to do together.
Trying to find time to spend with your significant other can be hard, but in order to make your relationship work, you need to push your school work aside and whatever else you may have going on for a little while when you can and make time to spend with one another. Sit down and discuss what both of your schedules are like and make time to be (alone) together. The main key with this is to balance the time you spend together and the time you spend separately doing things without each other.
2. Don't forget to make time for other things as well: Have some space for yourself.
Spending time with your significant other is very important and is great, but you also don't want to lose yourself in your relationship. Make sure you are doing things that you enjoy to do; for example, listening to music, writing, going to the gym, coloring, dancing, watching your favorite TV show or whatever you have interest in. It is important to not neglect your other responsibilities or your other relationships (friends, family etc).
3. Have patience: The life of a college student is very busy, and our schedules can be pretty hectic; therefore, things do not always go as planned.
College is a job of its own, between studying, going to class, etc. Depending on each of your schedules, one of you might have to cancel unexpectedly. Just be ready if he/she does, and take a deep breath because it is okay. It is important to understand and respect that they have to cancel, remember you can always reschedule your date!
4. Be there for each other: Being there for your significant other is crucial in a relationship. By being there for them, they are able to know that they can rely on you, and that can be a huge relief.
Sometimes life can be extremely overwhelming, and it is good to just know that you have someone that you can rely on. Whether it is just calling them to vent or being able to be held in your significant other's arms, it's one of the best feelings that an individual can feel. Offer your support and comfort in any way that you can. It is good to know that you or your significant other will always have each other and never have to go through anything alone.
5. Communicate with each other: Communication is key in every relationship.
Being able to talk to each other is a huge factor in a successful relationship. In a relationship, you need to be able to be open and honest with one another. If you don't, it may tear you apart and chip away at your relationship. You need to listen to each other and share things. Have meaningful, connecting conversations. You should feel like you can talk about anything and everything with your significant other.
6. Forgive: Holding a grudge can be detrimental to a relationship.
In order to have a healthy and positive relationship, you must learn to forgive. When it comes to relationships there will always be disagreements, different opinions and moments of frustration, and how we deal with this is crucial in order to have a successful relationship. It is important to learn to forgive and let go of out bitterness so our relationships can improve.
7. Trust one another: An important ingredient in any romantic relationship is the establishment of trust.
Trust is something that develops with time, through actions like being consistently affectionate, considerate and loyal. When you trust your significant other, there is a freedom to share your heart and soul with him/her because you know that what you share will be valued and treasured. Trust provides the means to add brick after brick to the foundation of your relationship, building a stronger platform upon which you can weather life's ups and downs together.
8.Be attentive: Demonstrate your commitment to the relationship.
It is what you do for someone that tells them that you love them. We tend to give our significant other what we hope to receive, but they may prefer another form of affection. Keep your significant other in mind, ask yourself questions like do they like gifts, quality time with you, a cuddle session or a cooked meal? Once you realize what they may like, make an effort to provide it. Sometimes it the little things that mean the most.
9.Look at your part in the conflict rather than focusing only on your partner's fault(s): Often, we tend to analyze our significant other's fault rather than our own.
Believe it or not, your partner is more likely to acknowledge his/her fault(s) if you do the same. Research has shown that relationships fall into rough patches when partners begin to think "here we go again," and this negative cycle is associated with loneliness, hurt and disappointment. Listen to what the other person has to say, and then take some time to think about it.
And last but not least...
10. Work on your relationship: Keep working at your relationship day by day, month by month, or however long it takes.
Working on your relationship will improve and strengthen it. Working out problems in an effective, healthy manner is very important. If there are any issues between you and your significant other, sit down and discuss them. It is important to try and find a solution to help your relationship rather than just ending it. You and your significant other are a team, so work together to make your relationship work!
