5 Reasons to Enter College Single

By: Zoe Chu

We all want the epic high school sweetheart love story. To play 18  by One Direction at your wedding. Or, to have cute “vintage” photos of you and your possible future partner to show your possible future adorable kids. But let’s face it, college is hard and reality hits harder. Between managing your time, juggling school work and new friends, or dealing with that one crazy neighbor that stomps uncontrollably at 7 am, you’ll have enough on your plate. Why carry the weight of a relationship into college when you know you’ll be drowning? If you need help being convinced, here are 5 reasons to enter college single.

1. You’ll wanna be in the moment
   1. Ok, this is probably something you’ve heard before but I swear it’s important for a reason. College is full of new experiences. You’ll maybe wanna join greek life, clubs, your resident council, or maybe go to every football game. You’ll make friends everywhere you go and part of the fun is being spontaneous. You don’t want your partner to hold you back from new friendships and experiences because you’re caught up on your phone or running off on weekends to see them. Once you enter college, you’ll see that life at college.
2. Distance doesn’t make the heart fonder
   1. Long-distance relationships are hard. They’re not for everyone, especially when you’re so young. Keeping in touch with your high school friends and family is already going to be a challenge, why do you think your partner will be any different? You also need to build a support system at college and not rely on your partner because they aren’t here. It’s probably going to be better to break up before the two of you get distant and the relationship comes to a bitter close. 
3. You’re so young
   1. Hear me out, I’m sure you didn’t feel so young when applying for college, trying to figure out what you want to do with your life, or packing for college whilst your mom kept lecturing about the responsibilities you’ll soon carry. But in retrospect, you were a kid, hell, you still are. You need time to find yourself, and be your own person. When you’re in a relationship, you don’t realize it but your personality and interest will mesh over time. That’s not a bad thing per say, it’s just not completely you which is what you need at this stage in life. You don’t want to lose the chance to find yourself while you’re young unless you’re eager to have a quarter-life crisis in the near future. 
4. They’re not your soulmate. 
   1. Ouch. Sorry. But I can almost guarantee you that your partner from your high school or hometown is not your soulmate. There are more than 7.5 billion people on this planet and you believe that you’ve already found the one within 18 years of life? You’ll have so many chances to have flings, fall in and out of love, go on dating apps, or simply stay single while you’re in college. Your partner right now is not the only possible partner to ever exist, you don’t need to hold on to them. It’s okay to let go. And hell, if it’s meant to be it’ll be… later on. 
5. Everything is temporary 
   1. Not to get too deep and philosophical, but at this time in your life, everything is temporary. Your first friend group in college won’t be your last, your roommate could always change, and your major or that one project that’ll force you to pull an all-nighter will soon be a fond memory. At this stage, everything and anything can change. Whilst your relationship can seem like a connection to home and a continuity to hold you down amidst the chaos of entering college, you’ll soon realize it’s much better to be on your own at this time. You can be selfish, make decisions for yourself, and become who you want to be without the expectations of being someone else’s person. 

• college
• relationships
• single