Balancing Out School and Relationships
My mother always told me that boys would be in the way of my education, and to wait before dating anyone. I listened to her for a while, staring at my laptop and sighing when Valentine’s Day came because I would either be watching the T.V show ‘Friends’ or eating.
Actually, that’s a lie. I’ve had boyfriends while being in University, in high school, and hell, even grade school! Guess what? They can only disrupt your life if you let them. In the past, I always made sure that my boyfriends and education do NOT mix, meaning that I kept my relationships and school separated.
Recently, I started dating again. I went on Tinder and looked up a potential someone. I feel I’m in a good place again to actually find a boyfriend. I eventually found a man who was actually worthy of my time: educated, talented, and cute. However, for the first time ever, I did not separate him from my education. In fact, I involved him in my education (he is smart, duh) and tried to combine the two.
When you grow up, you start to realize that if someone cannot connect with you over things that matter to you, then they’re a waste of time. In the beginning, I was never able to balance out school and relationships because the men I dated were people who did not care about school. However, now I understand that having an educated man is very important because they push you to be the best version of yourself. You have to be able to prioritize both in order to be able to succeed in having a relationship while dating someone.
In order to combine both school and a relationship, you must first figure out where you are with schooling and life. At an early stage of my life, I never knew what I wanted to have and achieve. Now, I know that I have goals I want to accomplish with my significant other. So you must first start with a planner. You must write EVERY single detail down, or you will most likely forget them.
Being in a relationship and school is exhausting. You’re not focusing on one thing, but multiple. Therefore, being able to organize your thoughts is crucial.
A part of being able to balance out the relationship and school, you must know that the person you chose is compatible with you and shares the same goals as you. Relationships shouldn’t hinder your success but enhance it. If spending time with your boyfriend is pushing school aside, then you’re doing something wrong. The degree will always have your back when boys decide to disappear one day. Try to make sure that you guys are both interested in doing things that will benefit your future.
Last but not least, make sure that you have self-control. Sometimes binging on relationships is like binging on chocolate when you’re on a diet. It feels good the first time, but it’ll escalate from there. You must keep your plan set straight. It is very tempting to skip a lab at 7:00 PM to spend some time with your boyfriend, but that will only affect your mark. Therefore, hang out with him a day before and go to your lab the next day!
It is very overwhelming to be in a relationship and try to get an education at the same time, but you’ve got this. Nothing should stand in your way because you got everything planned out, and you’re going in the right path. Just ease up on yourself, and make sure that you get your work done. Relationships and school are a piece of cake when you can find a way to connect them.