For most students, college can be a stressful 4 years. From keeping up with classwork to balancing a social life, it can cause stress on the average student. But throwing in a relationship, especially one that goes beyond campus, can cause even more stress on a collegiette. Luckily, Sophomore Julia Marnin, an Open Options Communications major, has learned to balance these stresses, and has some tips for the students looking to make a long distance relationship thrive.
Marnin and her boyfriend, who goes to Ursinus College, had mutual friends in high school, but never truly met until this past summer. “We haven’t been together for what some people would consider ‘long’ but it feels like we’ve known each for a while,” Marnin said.
The couple seemed to get the hang of their long distance relationship pretty quickly, but they’re still learning what works best for each other specifically. Of course, any distance is tough, but it has caused Marnin to see the positives in her situation.
“It makes the times we do see each other special,” Marnin said. “Since we’re not constantly together, we really value the time we spend together. I think if you see your significant other too much it’s easy to stifle each other.”
For anyone struggling with a long distance relationship, Marnin has a few pointers. Her first, and most important tip is communication, an obvious but sometimes forgotten essential. “Communication is key. I’m not saying be in constant communication 24/7, but definitely be in contact with each other,” Marnin said. “Being distant and unavailable all of the time would surely cause problems in the relationship.”
Her second important tip is having trust in your significant other. It is something that is implied in most relationships, but not always received. “Trusting each other is a huge thing in making long distance relationships work,” Marnin said. “If there’s no trust and jealousy is involved, it can quickly ruin a relationship.”
Of course, not all relationships are the same and require different things to make them work, but Marnin has useful knowledge to share with all the romantics on how to be successful in long-distance relationships.