Dating at University

my beautiful Edinburgh

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will have seen Lauren of loulabellerose all over twitter following her boyfriend receiving some unconventional university advice from UCAS - and in the words of Lauren Rosenbaum, "It wasn't even Ladbible worthy though"

the advice read "Uni is all about new experiences and meeting new people,
so save the heartache now and start your university life as a free agent.
Trust me, you won't regret it."

The transition from school/college can be a stressful time without adding the pressure of a relationship to the mix, however the topic is often one discussed well in advance between the majority of couples. I was fortunate enough to end up in the same city as my boyfriend - not through planning but by both of us getting into our chosen places in Edinburgh. Despite this we did still have the "do we or don't we" conversation, and with us both not planning on seeing anybody new, we decided to keep our relationship going throughout university. 

As far as I am aware, university is for studying a chosen degree, something that will (hopefully) go on to help you get a job in a specific field, not for ending a happy relationship in order to gain 'new experiences' in the bedroom or on nights out. I am still able to go on nights out with my friends, and I am more than happy to hold their drink whilst they get with a guy or take them for a consultation mcdonalds when they don't pull. One thing a lot of people don't tell you is that university can be lonely and that if you do have a partner having them there, whether it is in person or via FaceTime, can make the world of a difference. 

after a lot of people thinking we wouldn't last 2 weeks,
we are now approaching 3 years together 

There will be times when you get jealous or feel like you aren't getting enough attention, and when your boyfriend studies Musical Theatre there will be (a lot) of times you feel threatened by the size 8 dancers he spends 5 days a week with. Unfortunately that jealously is natural in relationships, and it is just making sure that it doesn't escalate into an uncontrollable state, I also wrote a post here about helping manage your time at university and splitting your time between friends and boyfriends. Long distance can easily intensify any feelings of being ignored or jealousy but you and your partner will know yourselves if it is worth it (and a good majority of the time it is). 

At the end of the day, every relationship is different and every couple will know what works for them and what doesn't. Living in the same city as them doesn't even mean you will spend 90% of your time with them - I am a 10 minute walk from Benj and I haven't properly seen him (other than walking to work) in about a week. Being single at university isn't the end of the world, and neither is being in a relationship. Yes, I have missed out on nights out because I've rather gone to see Benj instead but personally to me its all worth it. 

Are you dating at university or are you strictly no relationships whilst you study? 

x