My boyfriend and I started dating in high school. He was a grade above me and went off to college at The University of North Texas while I was still attending high school about four hours away in Austin, TX. We stayed together despite the distance and I have now been attending Texas Woman’s University, which is five minutes away from UNT, for the past year and a half. College has presented us with so many awkward situations that are inevitable for many college relationships.
Dorm Beds: a twin size bed, even if it’s “extra long,” just isn’t made for two people. You wake up with kinks in your neck and one person always gets the covers. There’s really no comfortable way to fit two people. It’s like Rose and Jack on the float in the Titanic… Sure, it was possible to fit two people, but just not practical.
Conflicting schedules: as the years have gone on, this has become increasingly difficult because a lot of major-specific classes are only available on certain days during certain times. Then throw work schedules in there and there’s very few time slots to just enjoy each other. During those times, you also have never ending homework… So much for quality time.
The distance: this isn’t so much of a problem anymore for us but for a year of our relationship, we were so far apart that we rarely got to see each other. It sucked. Sure there was “time for yourself” and “distance makes the heart grow fonder” but when you stop sugar-coating it, there’s just distance. Shout out to the people who go to different colleges and have to endure that for four years.
Checking them in: get ready for an absolutely crazy concept if you go to any other school besides TWU. I have to check my boyfriend in at the front desk every time I want him to come up to my room. It’s super annoying and can be really awkward if the RA decides to point out how often he’s there; some people just don’t understand what it’s like to be in *girly voice* looove.
Different friend groups: we’re each other's best friends but sometimes we also want to spend time with our other friends. Why not have the best of both worlds? We tried to combine the time before by inviting some of his friends and some of my friends. It was straight up awkward.
There have been many struggles along the way but I believe it has made our love for each other grow and strengthened my confidence in our relationship because we have literally been through it all. Although there are many struggles, there have been many bonuses. Keep your eye out for next week's article to find out the positives of a college relationship!
