Being in a long distance relationship is hard enough; now add on the craziness of college classes, internships, and social life. Balancing a life at a large university and a relationship with someone thousands of miles away can be really difficult and can definitely take a toll on your life, but here are five things you can do to make it a bit more bearable:

1. COMMUNICATE!!! This is one of the most important aspects in a relationship no matter what. Whether you’re in a LDR or not, communicating is a key component to everyone’s happiness. Keep an open line of communication with your partner. Don’t check in all the time (See #3), but make sure you guys are talking sporadically throughout the day.

2. Facetime frequently. Phone calls are a great way to chat, but there’s something about a face-to-face connection. Make sure you’re seeing each other’s face. Studies show that couples in long distance relationships are more likely to succeed if they say good night face-to-face every night, so take advantage of technology and say goodnight via FT.

3. Give each other space. This is probably one of the hardest things to do. Often we get caught up in knowing everything about each other at all times of the day. It’s good for each person in a relationship to have alone time. If you are in class there is no reason to text each other. Take that hour and fifteen minutes to focus on your studies, or when you’re doing homework let your partner know and then silence your phone. It’s okay to get busy and take some time to be with friends and focus on yourself.

4. Trust, trust, trust. Like any relationship, trust is HUGE! There is no reason to stop trusting each other just because you’re miles apart. If your partner has never given you a reason not to trust them, don’t worry about it. Do not create scenarios out of thin air and cause problems. The saying, “Don’t fix it if its not broken,” applies perfectly here. Trust each other, go out on Saturday nights and have fun. Snapchat each other and keep each other updated, but have fun with your friends. Learning to trust each other makes things easier and less stressful for both parties.

5. Share the responsibilities. “The man should pay,” mentality is backwards and absurd, especially in a LDR. Sharing the responsibility of airfare and expenses is healthy and will help to keep things from becoming ugly. You should be paying for your own airfare to see each other. If only one of you has the capability of traveling to see the other person, switch off. Find cheap tickets online, discuss when a good time to visit is, and decide which person is going to pay. Split the bill at dinner! Splurge on each other and spoil each other, but also remember that you’re both broke college students and neither of you can afford to pay for everything and that’s okay right now.

Being in a long distance relationship is really hard, but if its worth it, it’ll work out. It’s not always going to be sunshine and rainbows and that’s okay too, but don’t let the bad outweigh the good.

Questions, comments, concerns? Leave me a comment and I’ll address them all in my next article!