To end off the month of February and my month long love series with articles dedicated to the topic of love and relationships, here are the pros and cons of dating while in University.
The Pros
1. 24/7 Support System
Being in university can be an emotional roller coaster at times. When you have 3 assignments due and a midterm you have yet to study for, its good to know that you always have someone who can be at your door in minutes with comfort food and big arms to hold you during your stress-induced breakdowns. Having a relationship in university is like having an additional support system that can really go the extra mile when you need them most.
2. The Best Study Buddy
When you have to pull an all nighter during exam season, who better to ask to keep you company than bae? They’ll be right there with you studying in the wee hours of the morning, even if they have nothing to study for themselves. Why? Well, because they love you and kind of have to.
3. Always Having Someone to Hang Out With
Its a Saturday night and you have nothing to do. You want to go out and enjoy the night, but all your friends are busy. Who do you call? Well, your s/o of course! They’re at your beck and call when it comes to going out and doing things together. Even if they’re busy, there is probably some way you can convince them to spend time with you. That’s their job, after all.
4. More Mature Relationship
Remember those days in high school, where you would flaunt your relationship by walking hand in hand through the halls? You also probably changed your Facebook relationship status so that all of your schoolmates would know that you’re both taken and off limits. Well, university relationships are different. No one cares about your relationship status, which gives you more time to focus on each other as a couple instead of what others are thinking about it. This leads to a more mature relationship in which you both can focus on your own wants, needs and how your relationship can become even stronger.
5. Greater Chances of Lasting
Have you heard the saying, “couples that form in high school rarely last?” Well, there’s a reason that its not said about couples that form in university. Couples that form in university actually have a greater chance of lasting than those formed in high school. In university, you’re on the road to adulthood, which involves getting your life together, settling down and starting a family. If you have a s/o in university, chances are that they’re who you see yourself doing all those adult life things with. More likely than not, if you do end up staying together after university, your s/o will be around long term!
The Cons
1. Distraction
Even though having someone there can be really nice, it can also be a huge distraction. Having a s/o probably means that you’re going to be spending A LOT of time with them. This can distract you from other important things you have on your plate, like studying. If having a relationship is going to distract you and be detrimental to your studies, which is really why you went to university in the first place, then having one might not be such a good idea.
2. Huge Time Commitment
With the million and one things that you already have to do as a university student, having a relationship will probably make completing all of these task quite difficult. Being in a relationship and dating in general is a huge time commitment, as you often have to be able to commit your time and effort to another person on a regular basis. This might be hard when you’re in university with all of the assignments and deadlines that you have to keep up with.
3. Not Ready for a Real Relationship
Although having a relationship may be nice, sometimes people just aren’t ready for such a big commitment in university. University is about finding yourself and having fun along the way. A lot of people like to experiment and not be held down during “the best years of their young adult life.” Therefore, a committed relationship might not be what some university students are looking for at this point in their lives.
4. Hometown Distance
It may not seem like a big deal during the school year, but the distance between your hometowns may pose a problem to your relationship. What happens in the summer or when you both graduate from university? If you both plan to move back to your respective hometowns, you will have to either compromise, decide whether you want to do long distance or unfortunately, break up. Although going to the same university is great at the moment, it doesn’t last forever.
5. What Happens After University?
This is a question that one must eventually ask when they’re involved in a relationship in university. Soon enough, both of you are going to graduate university, and then what? Will you and your s/o stay together? Will you live in the same city? Will you move in together? The question of the future will come up, and if your respective plans for yourselves don’t line up, this may pose a serious problem in your relationship.
Check out the other two parts of Dana’s February Love Series: “7 Thoughts You Have if You’re in a Serious Relationship” and “10 Cute Date Ideas for the Winter Season.”