Attending a women’s college, you are without a doubt going to adopt/pick up different doctrines and beliefs that you did not have prior to college; You’re also going to set some free. You will become more aware about certain privileges, unspoken rights, and advantages that you may have over others. Additionally, you will realize how unfair some laws and governmental regulations are –as they can bind people to poverty, being houseless, and more. As a young scholar at an institution that works overtime to educate its students on sociopolitical issues and disadvantageous Western economic problems, you are conscious and aware. Shouldn’t you be able to exchange ideas learned in class and in your personal time of academic journal exploration with your partner?
You put in the hard time doing the homework assignments, writing the research papers, and preparing for the in-class discussions. Sometimes your nights are sleepless and your days are extra extra long. The person that you are seeing could relieve some of your academic stress by challenging your thoughts and opinions with healthy conversation about different topics!
It is only fitting that who you choose to date is aware as well. Here are three simple ways to help kickstart the process of educating your significant other.
- Netflix and Dialogue
Netflix has some serious gold. Before you get together, set aside a few minutes to research good documentaries. My favorite categories include political, social and cultural, and historical documentaries. More specifically, I have thoroughly enjoyed The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (collection of interviews and images of major figures within the Black Power, Panther Party, and Civil Rights movements), The Human Experiment (about using people to test drugs and medicine without them knowing), and (Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies (about how we all tell countless lies everyday whether they are big or small). Outside of Netflix, I really like the documentaries The Same Difference (about the divisions within the LGBTQIA community in regards to lesbians being “femmes” or “studs”) and Angels Can’t Help But Laugh (about the unfair treatment of Black actresses and lack of opportunity for better roles in Hollywood). Pick one or two interesting, chilling, roller coaster ride films and spark conversation with your partner after you watch them. In dating, it is always your best bet to pick a person’s brain and see where they stand on major topics that are of high significance to you.
2. Bedtime Stories
Research a good book to read, ask your partner if they’d find it interesting, and read it together. You can pick particular chapters or sections or even skim through it! Reading together is a great way to get closer. The sound of a voice you enjoy brings out pieces of texts that reading by yourself may not have paid attention to – like prose, imagery, and symbolism.
Lastly…
3. Get up, get out, and do something
Every college in the Atlanta area from Morehouse, Spelman, and Clark Atlanta to Agnes Scott, Georgia Tech, and Georgia State all have fantastic symposiums and lectures that occur on campus frequently. Professors, authors, researchers, and scientists from all different disciplines come and speak on their chosen fields of study. Attending these talks with your partner is a great way to join in on dialogues so that you can gain and exchange information.