Fact: Dating is tough. It’s as simple as that. But, dating can be exceptionally difficult when it’s in college. There are many reasons that relationships are so much tougher to maintain when at school. Unfortunately, a lot of these things are out of our control and will probably not change as long as people continue to go to college. So, if you can manage a happy and healthy relationship in your college years, you’re really doing something right. Though it’s not limited to these reasons, here are a few examples of how dating in college can be a daunting task.
Their friends can heavily influence their decisions.In the later teen years, people are still very reliant on their friends to make some major decisions for them. This can really mess things up if someone is totally into you, but their friends dissuades them from going for it for one reason or another. If you’re lucky enough to start to go for someone who is more mature, this problem may be able to be avoided.
They live far, far away when you’re not at school together.In high school, you usually only dated people that lived in the same town as you or at least a town that wasn’t outside of driving distance. Now, when you come to college, of course you can’t help but falling for the guy who is a plane ride away. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to get used to saving up your money so that you can see them one time over the summer.
It’s difficult to get alone time.School gets very stressful from time to time (actually, a lot of the time) and it is nice to get alone time with your special someone where you can relax and take a break from reality. But how are you supposed to do that when you each have three other roommates? And it’s not fair for either of you to consistently tell your roommates that you need the room for a few hours every night. This one’s tough to solve.
Dates consist of meals from the dining hall or the restaurant on campus- if you’re lucky.Especially if you are dating when you are freshman or sophomores, it is very difficult to get off campus to go somewhere nice together. Taking the Stag bus doesn’t seem very romantic, does it? So you two are forced to have a super lovey-dovey meal in the dining hall, where you are surrounded by hundreds of other people. And maybe you’ll splurge once a week and have a meal at the restaurant on campus… and still be surrounded by plenty of other students.
If it doesn’t work out, you know you’ll still have to awkwardly walk by them on campus.This is pretty much unique to a college setting because you are always within close proximity to all of the people living on campus, including that ex of yours. Having to walk by them and relive all of the memories you had with them can definitely be a little bothersome. And also, if they start dating someone else on campus, you know that with your luck you will run into them while they are together all of the time.
Dating can work in college if you really have found “the one” and both of you are willing to put in a lot of effort. Just let it be known, it’s no walk in the park.