Managing your social life, classes, and work can be hard and stressful when you’re a full time student. Throwing a significant other in the mix and making time for them can either make your life easier or feel more stressful if you don’t know how to prioritize in a healthy way. I’ve been dating my boyfriend since senior year of high school, but we didn’t go to the same school until this year. We’ve gone through “long distance” and now we live down the street from each other at the same university. Here are a few tips for you if you’re in a relationship and are trying to figure out how to make it work.
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Make time for yourself and your own friends. I know you really like your boyfriend or girlfriend because they’re really cute and sweet so you want to see them all the time. However, you should not spend every free moment you have from work and school with them. Remember that you have your own friends, and your partner has their own friends. It’s also a good idea to have some “me time!” You should take time to relax on your own. Do some self love and care activities and remember how to enjoy yourself without needing another person.
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Go on dates. As college students, a lot of us are on the struggle bus when it comes to money. Fancy dates aren’t always possible. You can make anything a date when you’re with your boo. Go out to a place you can afford, order in, make food together, get snacks and popcorn and rent a movie. Redbox movies are less than $2! The key is to switch it up and keep things fun. If you’re able to save up and go on a nice dinner date, definitely do it! Just remember, there are a ton of options.
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Communicate! It seems kind of obvious, but it doesn’t hurt to say it. If you’re having a problem in your relationship, have a conversation with your person. If you two are going to work and be together, you need to be able to talk about your problems. If you find yourself always holding in your thoughts, being afraid to speak up or if your significant other never understands your side, maybe you two aren’t meant to be together.
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Reciprocate. Some people might disagree with me on this, but my boyfriend and I generally switch off paying for each other. There are times, of course, when Jake treats me out and surprises me or offers to get me something. I just don’t think one person should always be responsible for paying. Like I said, college kids are usually kind of broke! It’s also important to give back in other ways like supporting your boo when they do that for you. Maybe they’re having a bad week so you need to be there for them. They should be doing the same for you when you have a bad week or a bad day.
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Remind your person what they mean to you. It’s so important to actually SAY how much you appreciate your boyfriend or girlfriend. Some people might always assume that they know, but it’s never a bad idea to really say it. Thank them for being there for you or remind them why you like them so much. It doesn’t have to be a big sappy paragraph! Just a short text or phone call will do.
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If you are both busy, try to make at least a little time to see each other. If you go to the same school, meet them between class even if it’s just to say hi and ask about their day before you head off to your next commitment. If you don’t get to see them in person, facetime them before you go to bed to talk a little bit about both of your days. If you think you can’t hang out because you need to study, try doing a study date with them.
These are some tips that I think have made my relationship work over the past four years. I hope that some of these tips work for you, but every relationship is different. It’s important to see what works best for you and your girlfriend or boyfriend.