During college, the idea of going out with an older guy seems like it would be great- no more dealing with immature boys whose only focus in life is planning their next fraternity party. Although dating an older guy has its perks, it also has some downsides.
When my boyfriend and I first started dating, he had recently just finished college while I was still not very far into my freshman year. He was beginning to look for a job and trying to find the career that he would fit into, however I was just trying to figure out which clubs to join and trying to find my place at UCLA. After we became more serious, I quickly realized that it was very difficult to try and balance my college life versus seeing him. It felt like I was living two completely different lives: my life at college and my life with my boyfriend. It felt like my two worlds could never intersect. Even though he supported the idea of me joining clubs at school and hanging out with friends, I always felt bad having to choose between being with him or being with my school friends. After a while I began to get exhausted of trying to live two separate lives and I almost ended the relationship all together to just focus on my life at school. However, I really, really was falling for him and I still wanted to see what we could still be. For the remaining time in my freshman year, I spent it hanging out with him as much as I could, and I did not really have much of a presence in the UCLA. I pretty much gave up trying to live in two different worlds.
It was not until the beginning of this school year where I really started to find a balance between my college life and being with my older boyfriend. I began to get more involved in school, including writing for Her Campus, spending more time with my friends during the week and him on the weekend. Although I am able to balance everything more now, I still find it difficult to realize how different our lives are at the moment. While he has a full-time job and his own apartment, I am still working hard in college and experiencing dorm life. We are at two completely different stages of our lives which is challenging, but also rewarding. He gives me insight into what goes on in the business world while I share with him everything that goes on in my busy college life. We also both make efforts to be involved in different aspects of our lives. For example, my boyfriend tries to hang out with my friends while I tag along with him to things he enjoys, like car shows. It may be a struggle to date someone older than you, but if you love them and they make you a better person, then all the challenges are worth it.