Most couples do everything together: eating, studying, class, work. Many high school students believe that by going to the same college campus as their significant other, they will be able to keep their relationship healthy, and will be with this person forever. However, forever gets to be just a little too much, and by the time they hit mid-terms, many couples are so sick of each other, they are either about to break up or are on the verge of killing each other! Even when married, people don’t spend every second together; in fact, between having different careers, friends, and hobbies, a majority of the married couples that I know spend a significant amount of their free time apart! I didn’t really realize that long-distance is a blessing until leaving for a college campus 3 hours away from my boyfriend of two years. At first it was really hard, but I realized that by choosing the college that was best for my future job was a lot smarter than choosing his college because it was best for my future relationship.

1. You get alone time.

Sometimes it is nice to just go into your room, lay down in bed, and do absolutely nothing. That’s right. Nothing. No homework, no studying, no Netflix, no texting. Nothing at all. I know that many of my friends that had boyfriends that went to the same school never experienced a few moments to themselves; every free moment was spent going on a date.

2. You will actually focus on your academics.

It’s a lot more fun to go out on a date instead of studying for that big test Monday. However, spending all of your free time with your boyfriend will probably cause your grades to drop. Having a lot of free time after class each day will give you time to meet with your professors and go over information you don’t understand. It will also give you free time to study and get homework done. Even when my boyfriend visits, I find it hard to get homework done, just for the weekend. I can’t imagine the temptations to procrastinate and skip assignments and studying.

3. You can get a job/volunteer without feeling guilty.

Once again, it’s hard to work when your boyfriend always wants to hang out, or you always want to be with him. However, when you are only seeing each other every couple weekends, it is a lot easier to have a job, volunteer, or do anything else productive without being distracted.

4. You will have the opportunity to make friends.

I don't know about you, but in my situation, I would hang out with my boyfriend before I even considered calling a friend to go do something. However, when the boyfriend is out of the picture for a while, it is a lot easier to walk up to someone new, chat for a while, and become friends.

5. You won't hate each other by mid-terms.

College is stressful, and spending every waking moment with your significant other will cause you to eventually take out your stress on them. Yelling and arguing for a few weeks straight is not good for a relationship, and the stress may cause one of you to break. When midterms come along, you might blame them for the class you are suddenly failing, the concept you don't understand, or that late assignment that is bringing your grade down drastically.

6. The time you actually get to spend together will be so much more special.

It is hard to be in a long-distance relationship, don't get me wrong. However, after the weeks apart, the phone calls every night and the constant texting, it is such a magical thing to be reunited once again with a big hug and unbreakable smiles. You will have so much to tell each other and so many ideas for dates that the few days you have together before parting again will fly by. This special moment is what I live for in my relationship, because the weekends that my boyfriend drives over to La Crosse are the most fun I have ever had.