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How to Handle Seeing Exes on Campus

Danie Roberts
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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Lasell chapter.

It’s a normal morning on campus, and you head out the door to get to your first class. You’re walking down to the academic center, and then your eye catches someone you never planned on seeing again. Your former roommate, the girl you moved out on last semester. You make eye contact with her, she gives you a dirty look, and you quickly run away to your class so you never have to be this awkward again.

On a small campus like Lasell, you’re bound to see any ex of yours around. Whether it’s an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend, best friend or roommate, it’s inevitable. You may have a class with them, they may live in your dorm, or you just happen to walk the same path every day to get to the academic center. In any case, you can’t avoid seeing an ex. Here’s how to handle it.

  1. Don’t look down to avoid them. Yes, that is the easy route. You can pull out your phone when you see them approaching and pretend you’re texting someone. You could think your shoes are fascinating. But that’s going to look obvious. Keep your head up and walk straight past them. You don’t have to make eye contact, but at least look up.

  2. Smile at them or make friendly conversation. If you’re sitting next to them in class and they ask you about the homework, be polite. You don’t need to be mean, even if you really want to be deep inside.

  3. If they are rude to you, ignore them. Don’t fight back if you’re walking by their group of friends and you overhear your name and a few other not-so-nice words. You can either let the words get to you, or you can be the bigger person and walk away. If they are the ones who can’t stop talking about you, then they’re the one with the problem.

  4. Realize that you moved on for a reason. You moved out because you were uncomfortable living there. You may have broken up because your significant other wasn’t faithful or you just weren’t happy anymore. Friends change constantly, especially in college. Remember that you’re better now with a new set of roommates or a new friend group. Forget about the past issues and live in the now instead.

And always remember. You could look like this when you spot them:

 

 

Or you could look like this:

 
Danie is a 2018 graduate of Lasell College. She served as Campus Correspondent and Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus Lasell for two years, and wrote all four years. Danie also worked for Her Campus as a Community Management intern for two semesters, and was a National Feature Writer for six months. Danie studied Communication with concentrations in Journalism and Public Relations. She is currently seeking opportunities in the editorial or music industry. Follow her on all platforms at @raniedoberts and check out her website, raniedoberts.com. 
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