Looking across the bar you see that person and you lock eyes with them. This is the same person you have been glancing at all night. It’s getting pretty late which means your chances of talking to them are decreasing. So, you make your way toward them, introduce yourself and flirt for a while. You took a risk going up to someone you’ve never seen or spoken to before, but it seems to be working. The bar is about to close, and your friends are trying to make both of you leave. Refusing to end the conversation there, you call an Uber and just the two of you head out together.
You can imagine what happens after that. This scenario tends to happen a lot with college students. Of course, there are also plenty of other places to meet people like in class, clubs or other social events on campus. Just because two people meet at one of these spots doesn’t necessarily mean they will form a relationship or even decide to date, but the possibility remains
For most people, going to college means the start of new experiences which often includes dating. Some may think college is the perfect time to date around, but others might be looking for the one they will spend the rest of their life with.
Dating and relationships are generally different in college than they are in high school. After senior year, the excitement usually starts to set in for the soon-to-be college freshman. Many will be moving away from their parents, preparing for the party scene, leaving their friends they have spent every day with for the last four years and possibly getting ready to have more independence.
Professor Shelley Birdsong, assistant professor of religious studies, said that “if you are in college, you are learning so much information, you change drastically and your ideas change and that affects your relationships.”
People tend to grow and mature at this stage in life. This could change the kind of person you’re attracted to, which is why college might be the perfect time to go out with different types of people.
Hookup culture has become increasingly popular among college students. For some, the ability to have casual, sexual relations with multiple people without having to deal with commitment is enticing. At a college or university with a large enrollment, the chances of running into the same person over and over again are fairly low. Because of this, many students feel less pressure sleeping with someone they may have just met.
According to “Thriving in College and Beyond” by Joseph Cuseo, “students who prefer this approach believe that formal dating is unnecessary; they feel that their social and sexual needs are better met more casually by associating with friends and acquaintances.”
This could be the perfect solution for those who want to have a sex life but don’t want to be stuck with only one partner. Some students may think this is ideal but others are looking for the exact opposite. You never know when someone special will come along and make you want to forget the single life and settle down.
Instead of hoping to date a new person every week, some women may be going to college in hopes of getting their “MRS.” degree.
Serious and casual are not the only forms of relationships that can circulate on college campuses. Sometimes a connection between two people can occur over a great distance. If those two people can handle being apart for potentially long amounts of time, then they will attempt a long-distance relationship.
Communication is key in these situations. It’s important to talk about boundaries and figure out what both people want when they can’t be in the same place. Schedule FaceTime dates, send gifts in the mail and visit each other when possible. These are just a few things to do in order to maintain a healthy, long-distance relationship.
Sometimes being in a relationship with someone but not being able to see them often can lead to cheating. An alternative to being committed to that one person is having an open relationship.
In these situations, some feel that it’s best to be in a relationship while also being open to seeing different people. Both members of the relationship would have to agree to this arrangement. Otherwise, it could be considered cheating. In order for something like this to possibly work, “Everyone has to know about everyone else and has to be out in the open,” said Professor Shereen Ilahi, associate professor of history.
The experiences of being in a relationship could bring happiness and serenity, but it could also lead to a broken heart. Trying to balance academics and the person you are infatuated with can be difficult regardless of how well the relationship is going. If the relationship starts to take priority over schoolwork and grades start to slip, the relationship may have to be put on hold or even ended.
“It’s important to do but at the same time the fallout is really bad because you will get your heart broken and you will be destabilized and then it’s hard to focus on your work,” said Ilahi. “On the opposite side, the same thing can happen with the ‘new relationship energy’ because that person could consume your mind causing you to daydream and lose focus on your work.”
Finding someone to study with instead of skipping class with could be beneficial for both people. Time management is important in a relationship because each person decided to go to college for their own reason, but they both most likely decided to go to college to learn and get a degree. So being with someone who wants to learn means there has to be time for academics and time for each other.
