Maintaining A Long-Distance Relationship

Going into college is usually one of the most exciting moments in someone’s life. Making friends and meeting someone new are always possibilities, and perhaps desires, of college. But if a long distance relationship is in the mix, these possibilities can become complicated.

For some, including me a few years ago, not being able to see each other every day broke the relationship. Others manage to balance their lives at school and spending time with those they can’t see every day.

According to an online survey we conducted, 53.2% of those who took it said they didn’t think long distance relationships would work in college.

Hey, we’re not saying long distance relationships aren’t hard! They are, but with the right attitude and enough effort, anything is possible.

Is the success of a long distance relationship purely situational, or are there factors? We hit the streets and asked a few girls about their long distance relationships:

“The challenge mainly, aside from missing each other, is getting used to his schedule and him getting used to mine. Having classes and meetings and sports at different times really affects how much we talk daily,” says Hailey Lara, a sophomore.

She says she’s been with her boyfriend since junior year of high school. “Being friends first helps, and then just being able to relate with stress, talking it out, getting his perspective and me giving him mine, like we help each other. Skype’s nice too; we text a lot but seeing his face and smile on a bad day even for a second is so much better!” she says.

Dani San Giacomo, a sophomore, also says she’s been with her boyfriend since junior year of high school, but went on a break with her boyfriend for a few months during her freshman year.

“I guess the change was just hard and we were both trying to figure out our own situations with starting college and everything. We got back together over thanksgiving break freshman year and everything has been good since then,” she says.

Although she says she had some trouble adjusting to college and a boyfriend far away, she and her boyfriend have found ways to make it work.

“We just always try to make time to see each other, whether he comes to visit for a weekend or I go home. We try to do every month, and when we set an exact weekend, it gives us something to look forward to and makes the time go by faster between visits,” she says.

Madison Fialkowski, a sophomore studying social studies secondary education, says, “it’s the most challenging when my boyfriend visits and then leaves, because I feel like I fall in a slump and cannot focus on getting work done. Also, it’s difficult seeing couples on campus and having him not be at the same school as me.”

She says, however, that constant communication is the key to the success of her relationship. “We make sure to call each other each day even if it’s for a minute,” she says.

Though there’s a lot of work that goes into maintaining a long distance relationship in college, these girls are testimonials that as long as both you and your boyfriend find ways to keep each other in the loop, you’ve got as much of a chance as anyone.

Photo by Siru Wen