Surviving the Long Distance Relationship
Most girls work super hard to make their college relationships work, and the added pressures of being far away from a boyfriend make everything that much more difficult. Every difficult aspect: jealousy, trust issues, and time management are all amplified when the miles between two lovers increase. Read below for tips on how to make your long distance relationship long lasting.
1. Be an open book
The old motto, “Honesty is the best policy,” really applies in this situation. Let your boyfriend know how you’re feeling about things early, before they become a problem. It’s a lot harder for him to decipher your subtle hints over iMessage than if he were talking to you in person, so try your best to be as honest as possible. Whether you’re bummed about a test score or mad that your video chat got cut short by an annoying roommate, honestly share what’s on your mind.
2. Establish your boundaries early
The best way to protect both of your feelings is to make your opinions on potential problems crystal clear from the beginning. If you do this right away, avoiding bumps in the road will be a lot easier. This is a conversation best had in person. Lay down the law on texting other girls, behavior when you go out, how often you visit and talk to each other, etc.
It really is a balancing game. You don’t want to suffocate him. LDR aficionado Devan Stehl says, “I want to let my boyfriend have some freedom because we both are going to go out with our friends and we want to have a good time. I don’t want to hold him back from certain experiences just because we’re on different sides of the country”.
3. Trust your significant other
The real key to any relationship? Trust. In the LDR, trusting a boy to be faithful and honest is a lot harder because you can’t see what he does at Homebar every Thursday night. No one wants to end up with a broken heart, so being too fast to trust could lead to a relationship with the wrong man. Once you know your guy well enough to feel confident in trusting him, let your faith in him stand for itself. If other people attempt to make you doubt your relationship without reason, defend him! Feel confident in your relationship and don’t sweat the small stuff.
4. Have fun with your friends
The best part of being in a LDR is having plenty of time to hang out with your friends! Enjoy college by building lifelong friendships and don’t shut out your girls because you’re always talking to/about your boyfriend. This also doubles as a security net, because if anything ever goes wrong, your best friends will always have your back.