According to a recent article by The Knot, about 15 percent of people find their spouse through college or grad school.
Having been in relationships while in college, I’ve noticed that I have to make sure I have everything in order before I even think about pursuing a relationship. It’s hard. Relationships aren’t always going to be perfect; there are a lot of issues that can pop up, and you have to be ready for them if you want the relationship to succeed, which can take up a little time.
So, is it worth it to have a relationship in college? Well, it depends on you as a person. A close friend of mine says, “You can’t be with someone until you’re ok with being with yourself,” which is something we all should think about because it’s selfish if we expect things to be perfect with someone if we don’t have our life together.
Dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble have become so normalized that they’re strengthening hook-up culture and seemingly killing young romance. Emily Hess, an editor at the Nevada Sagebrush and creator of the Confessions of a Hot Mess column, has dove into hook-up culture in her columns and talks about relationships, situationships and overall life as a college student.
Her column from Jan. 26, Love, Lust, And The Lies We Tell Ourselves, talks about her friend and how they want a relationship with another person who isn’t interested in them, but her friend tries to keep them interested through sex: “The thing about trying to turn sex into something bigger is that it tricks you.”
There are a lot of articles and subreddits that can be found on relationships in college – whether it’s going to work or not, does it affect us, what signs to look out for, etc. How can we know if we have found the one?
Personally, my parents met in college – of course, a few decades prior, more people met their spouses through college. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case today. If I’m looking to be with someone, they need to be supportive of my academic goals and endeavors. You have to find someone who is okay with not being your first priority. If you’re in school or just starting your career, that should be your first priority, right next to your health and well-being.
I will be the first to say, yes, it is great to be with someone, to have a person that you share a particular bond with, but you will attract people when you focus on yourself. You learn something from every relationship in your life, so if you think you’re ready for one, ask yourself if you’re happy where you are right now.
Alex Psak can be reached via email ap***@*nr.edu or on Instagram @alexandrapsak.
