I know what you are thinking, another love story! Usually writing about love is extremely cliché. There is something different about everyone’s experience with what our society calls “love”. Some of us start young, and some of us don’t find what we are looking for…what is your definition of unconditional love? Where is the line between real love and fake or even toxic love in high school and college? There is something to be said about God making women for men and something to say about guarding your heart. Everyone finds love at their own speed, and usually in their own way.
As women, we are designed to want love. It is classic for us to talk about it with our girlfriends, watch Disney films and even fantasize over a painted picture of what love should be.
Be patient with yourself when dating in college. Do not compare your relationship to others, it is not a race. Avoid judgment among yourself and your partner.
It is easy to jump into things or to want to move quickly; our emotions and hormones get the best of us!
It’s common to be head over heels and think you want or even need a relationship in college, but if both partners aren’t ready, someone will usually get hurt.
When you start pursuing someone or getting pursued yourself, make sure to ask the hard questions.
We gravitate towards people we are physically attracted to, however, it is important to make sure you can have fun with your partner! Do they make you laugh? Make you a priority? Give you butterflies?
In modern-day society, it’s pretty easy to just call something love “for fun”. It’s evidently what we want and desire. The term love is thrown around left and right.
However, it is more important to be smart about the way you are dating, rather than getting hurt.
If your friends, family and intuition are telling you to take a step back, it’s probably for a reason!
Some of us have a habit or a co-dependent strain of going for what may be unhealthy or challenging for us. Make sure to identify toxic traits before getting too deep into a relationship. It is much easier to fall deeper into love in a toxic relationship than it is to cut it off when you need to.
Make a list of pros and cons as well as necessities you see in a relationship.
Check your heart, and make sure you are providing everything you need to check off of your list to your partner. Prioritizing your goals, wants and expectations in a relationship makes it easier to predict the future as well as cut things out before getting too caught up in the wrong path.
Finding and distinguishing love in high school and even college is not easy for everyone but comes naturally to others. Do not compare your love life to others, and be easy on yourself when looking for a partner that will treat you the way you deserve!