Dating in college is hard to say the least; you have to prioritize a relationship with someone else while also balancing assignments, extracurriculars, jobs, and more. However, my boyfriend goes to a different college than me that’s about an hour away from my campus. Between us going to classes, me going to club meetings, and him going to his practices, it gets pretty hard sometimes to set aside time for each other. However, no matter how busy we get, we somehow always make it work! Here are my tips for dating someone who goes to a different college than you!
Trust Each Other
When you and your significant other aren’t seeing each other regularly, it might become harder to trust each other. When your SO doesn’t text you back right away, you might start thinking really problematic questions like is he/she texting someone else? Who is he/she with right now? Does he/she like talking to people at school more than me? These thoughts are pretty normal for long distance relationships but they become dangerous when you let them start influencing your actions. You don’t want to become that obsessive girlfriend/boyfriend that tracks your SO’s every move; not only will it be exhausting for you, but your SO will probably get frustrated over the fact that you aren’t trusting them. Therefore, trust your SO and your relationship! If you both decided to start a relationship despite going to different schools, you both obviously care about your relationship enough to be faithful to one another. This trust is important no matter what type of relationship you have, but I have found it even more important while my boyfriend and I are on different campuses.
Be Honest with One Another
This tip goes hand-in-hand with the idea of trust, but being honest with your significant other is what keeps your relationship healthy. If you start lying to your SO, even if it seems harmless, your girlfriend/boyfriend might start to think that you have something to hide. If you feel like you have to lie to your SO, then you might want to stop and think if what you’re doing is faithful to your relationship. Being honest with your SO can solve a lot of issues quickly without letting them escalate to something more serious. If you try to lie your way out of a situation, your lies will probably backfire and just make the situation worse, and you definitely wouldn’t want your girlfriend/boyfriend to find out down the line that you lied that one time. Therefore, it’s best to be honest with your SO; tell them what you’re doing and who you’re with if you think they’d want to know, and be honest with them if you feel like things are going South. It’s cliche, but honesty is the best policy, especially in relationships!
Put in Equal Effort
One-sided relationships are the worst; there’s nothing more frustrating than putting in all the work in a relationship while the other person does nothing. If you and your SO put in equal effort to talk to each other and see each other, then your relationship will probably thrive no matter where the two of you are! FaceTime each other at night to talk about your days, mail each other gifts to your dorms, and surprise each other by visiting each other’s campuses! These actions really show that your relationship is important to you, but they mean nothing if only one person is going the extra mile to do them.
I hope these tips help you if you are dating or ever start dating someone who goes to a different college than you! My boyfriend and I’s relationship is definitely not perfect (like every relationship!) but just because we don’t go to the same school doesn’t mean we don’t want to make an effort to be together. I truly believe that when you love someone, that love can overcome any distance. So, don’t let college’s difficulties scare you away from dating; have faith and trust in your love and let that guide you to a healthy and strong relationship!