Isn’t it awesome when you come back to campus and you’re super excited to get back, move in, and see everyone?
Well, almost everyone. You still run the risk of running into last years flame on campus- not a pleasant experience for either party involved.
But what can you do about it? It’s never not going to be awkward, especially if you two are no longer on speaking terms (which, in my opinion, happens wayyyy too often), but there a few steps you can take to ensure that things don’t get awkward to the realm of “Oh-jeeze-I-can’t-believe-that-even-happened.”
Do: Say hello
Be the bigger person, even if they aren’t. Saying hi shows that there aren’t any hard feelings over what may or may not have happened last semester, and gives you the air of at least looking like you are over it.
Don’t: Stop to chat and/or make plans
Saying hi is a good start, but stop any old feelings in their tracks by not stopping to discuss how great their summer was, or what classes they’re taking this year. If you’ve moved on and feel confident, be my guest. But I would recommend saying hi, and running down Comm Ave like you have to get from StuVi to COM in 15 minutes.
Do: Acknowledge him
Don’t be that person. Nothing says ‘I’m still handling this and not quite confident yet’ like seeing him and looking away. Seeing him and waving in a ‘hello’ gesture is sure to prove that you’re cool, collected, and confident.
Don’t: Make eye contact and look away
This is awkward when you do it with a friend, much less a former flame.
Do: Remember that this is a new year
If it’s a fresh start you’re craving, this is the prefect place to start. Whatever happened last year, happened last year. It’s in the past. In the words of a very wise monkey, “You can run from it, or you can learn from it.” Leave him in your past- right where he belongs- and keep your head held high when you start over.
Don’t: Let last year’s flame or relationship ruin this year’s
Moving on isn’t always easy- running into them on campus certainly doesn’t help either. In life it’s inevitable that at some point you’ll blame a new love for something an old one did- just do your best to remember that bad relationships aren’t hereditary or contagious, and just because it happened once doesn’t mean it will happen again. Don’t let something that happened last year indicate your happiness level this year.
There’s a reason it ended, and there are even more reasons why you shouldn’t let it affect you this year. Move on, trade up, and walk away with a strut so he knows exactly what he missed out on.