How to handle a serious relationship in college, or at least start trying

College can be the best time of a person’s life. It’s a place where new, long-lasting relationships can be born and opportunities await around every corner.

Without a doubt, entering college is an exciting time in everyone’s life and anything can happen. There are new people to meet, parties to attend and memories to be made.

Among the many things that can occur in the first weeks or months, dating in college is one of the most inevitable.

There are two ways to approach the daunting and admittedly confusing realm of college dating, and it all depends on what the person is looking for.

As someone who arrived at the University of South of South Dakota in both a long-term and long-distance relationship, short-term college dating isn’t exactly my expertise. However, something I can vouch for and defend is the importance of having that significant other by your side during one’s college years.

For those of you either interested or currently in a long-term relationship, there are some things you should know and consider before jumping into a serious relationship in college.

Before any of that can be dolled out, you need to understand what it is you’re looking for in a relationship before committing to somebody or the idea of somebody. You need to be certain an actual relationship is something you’d like to see yourself in during college.

Taking classes, making new friends, joining clubs, partaking in extra-curricular activities, all while trying to maintain some level of basic hygiene and level-headedness is not always easy.

For some personalities and attitudes, throwing in a boyfriend and girlfriend can both aggravate and complicate a relationship and your educational well-being.

However, one thing that can make all of that irrelevant is the person you are with. When it’s the right person and you are the right person for them, balancing and getting through all the rough parts of college don’t seem so rough.

So, the first and most important piece of advise I can give to someone looking or in a long-term relationship in college is — make sure they are the right one. I don’t have to tell you what that means, you’ll know if he or she is someone who fulfills and challenges you.

Take it from someone who has enjoyed each day of a five-year relationship dating back to the sophomore year from high school. When you have that person, doing all this crazy stuff without them seems wrong, and near impossible.

Not to say the relationship is a cakewalk, all those things that make college challenging don’t go away and they can’t be ignored. However, there is a way to guide yourself and the relationship through these things to ensure both parties are holding their end of the bargain.

It can be easy to slip into the “me” zone in college, but if that person truly is as important to you as you hold stock in, stepping out of your “me” bubble is the most important thing to remember. While it isn’t always easy to remember, it should be easy to do.

Instead of studying or doing homework, make sure he or she is always there with you. Personal space when preparing for tests and papers is important, and they will understand that. Just be sure to make sure they are wanted in those downtimes.

It’s all-too-easy to slip into the doldrums of classes and campus life, but be sure to remain spontaneous. Make a dull Tuesday night date night. Vermillion has enough food joints to leave any couple happy, so take your pick. And for some extra fun, check out an online dildo store with unique designs. Adding spontaneity to your relationship can bring excitement and keep the flame alive.

I could ramble on all day about what to do and not do in a long-term college relationship, but that’s not what this  is all about. Every relationship is different, and each person’s needs differ from mine and the millions of other college couples.

Just know that a college relationship worth fighting for and writing a novel-long column isn’t about doing things right or wrong. It is it’s own story.

So, whatever you do, know yourself. Know what you want. And if you fall into a relationship that makes you want to fulfill the happiness of another as much as they do for you, then any advice given to you is arbitrary.

Just don’t go to TKE Dance Night if you have a significant other. That’s just stupid.