The summer before starting university, I spend days and nights worrying over the fate of my then 3-month long relationship. Comments such as “It’s not like you’ve been together for years or anything, are you sure it’s going to work?’ were frequently thrown in my direction, leaving me slightly fazed, yet still determined to prove these people wrong. My worry even resulted in trawling through pages and pages of online forums on long-distance relationships, becoming that loser I never wanted to be. I became increasingly paranoid and hopeless when statistics such as ‘70% of university relationships have crumbled by the end of the first term’ screamed out at me and wouldn’t leave my head. So many teenagers find themselves faced with the dilemma of whether to stay with their boyfriend or girlfriend and risk missing out on the fun of uni, or to break up and potentially end up alone and moping for the entire first term.
My boyfriend and I were determined to stick it out, so we headed off to our separate universities with as much positivity as we possibly find, ready to face the battlefield that is freshers week.
There were casualties; couples who had arrived with exactly the same intentions as us of fell apart, it was just a matter of who was next. However over a year and a half later we’re still standing strong and as long as you both want it enough, its possible for any couple to survive the distance. At times it was definitely not easy, but making sure that you both have an amazing university experience is just as important as enjoying the weekends you spend together. As long as you both take the time to talk about what is happening in your lives, there should be no suspicion or jealousy.
I am not saying that a long distance relationship is for everyone, many of my friends ended up a lot happier once they were single, which came as a welcomed break from constant arguments down the phone. However for me, waking up in bed with a stranger (who looks nothing like he seemed to the night before) and at risk of now giving birth to his child does not seem like an enjoyable experience. I can still go out with my friends as much as I like and consume as much alcohol as I desire, but at the end of the night I know that there’s a guy out there who actually cares about me, however far away he may be.
If you are worried about going to university with a boyfriend but are desperate to make it work then just remember that the 30% of couples that supposedly last could easily include you two, you just need to want it enough.