This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SMU chapter.
In high school, the biggest events were house parties when parents went out of town or a rented out venue for a birthday party. Coming to college opens up a whole number of opportunities and freedom that were not available during the four years of high school. Over my past three years on this campus I have heard myths made up my girls about what particular relationships meant. Have no fear, this will help categorize exactly what is going on between you and your crush.
5 Categories of Relationship
- Late Night Booty Call – This is the least binding relationship of the five. When the only time you ever see his name come up on your phone is past midnight on a weekend night, you are currently in this category for him. The only encounters you have lots of alcohol are involved. If you ever see each other on campus if you say hi at all its a simple wave. Hopefully you aren’t super crushing on this boy because at this point and time, you are simply a booty call to him.
- Friends with Benefits – This is a step up from the last level of relationship, however it still doesn’t have much of a future. If at one drunk point you and a guy friend hooked up and it wasn’t completely terrible that it continued to happen you are most likely at this point. When both of you go out and see if anything new presents itself, and if it doesn’t you both end up together, you are friends with benefits. You are practically using each other when there is nobody else around. Typically this will continue until a new person on either end is introduced or a holiday break interrupts this convenient relationship, however there can be a possibility for moving up the relationship ladder from this point. Occasionally these friends realize they are both attracted to each other and they proceed to build a relationship on their current friendship. Like the bachelorette’s constantly say about the oh so dreamy Sean, I want to marry my best friend!
- Hooking Up – The most common misinterpreted point in a relationship. I once heard a girl say that if you hook up with a guy three times, you are “hooking up.” This is incredibly untrue. Friends with Benefits and Booty Calls can hook up a million times, it doesn’t change what they are if your guy doesn’t see you as more than that. In order to be hooking up you have to be extremely consistent. In this case you are always leaving the bar together, you chat on a regular basis, and there is sober interaction. If your guy isn’t saying hi to you or willing to go to the library with you when you both are studying, you have not yet reached this point. Boundaries don’t necessarily have to be set but for the most part at this point you are spending a lot of time together.
- “Basically Together” – This one could be a slippery slope. When you hear a girl say “oh yeah were like basically together,” that isn’t always the case and her other half is not on the same page. In order to have this title you have to have all the qualities of hooking up but also add that there has to be a discussion between the two of you. In order to categorize your relationship at this point there has to be discussions of true feelings on both sizes. You might not have the official title yet but you are definitely headed in that direction.
- The Real Deal – The obvious definition is that you are dating. He refers to you as his girlfriend, and he is your boyfriend. Done deal.