Many college students are attending colleges that are not close to their hometown. Many of these students are in relationships with people at their college, and when summer comes the couple finds themselves pulled apart. Having a significant other hundreds of miles away can leave quite a damper on the summer.
Summer Relationships
These relationships are hard to maneuver. The time apart is not long term, typically just from May to August. Also, college relationships are very different from high school relationships. In high school couples were in class all day and usually had things like extra-curricular or a part time job. They could spend some time in the evening together and then each would return to their respective homes.
Everything changes in college. There is a lot of free time in between classes, and couples often spend all evening and nights together. Time together is endless, and aside from roommates there are limited interruptions. They get in a routine, and the ending of the semester comes as a startle. The end of the semester is always really busy, and then there is the stress of finals, and then suddenly the deeply in love couple are packing up cars and driving in opposite directions for four months. It can be very rough.
How to Handle Long Distance Relationships in Summer
There are some ways to make the time apart easier. It will be tough but having a game plan can make the time apart more manageable.
- Make use of technology. There are lots of options for webcam use, including the popular web chat site Skype. It is free to make an account and as long as both parties have a camera then the couple is good to go. Another good option is facebook. Record videos to each other and leave them on the wall or in private messages.
- Create guidelines of communication. Determine what sort of communication schedule is needed. Email twice a day? Phone calls once a day? Chat on instant messenger for an hour every night? If the guidelines are already set then both people know what is expected and there is less of a chance of one person getting upset with the lack of communication.
- Plan visits. It can be hard to schedule with work and other summer obligations but it can help a lot. Don’t try and firm up plans for the whole summer. Instead, take baby steps. If summer starts May 1 then try and schedule a visit for May 21. At that trip, schedule the next visit. Having something to look forward to makes the time go by faster as well.
Most of all be happy that the relationship exists. It is hard to believe but the time apart really does make the love stronger in the end. Also, the apart ensures that the couple won’t get in a rut or bored and thus helps the likelihood of a prolonged relationship. And when it seems like it is too much to handle, think about life without the other. More likely than not the time apart temporarily is better than breaking the relationship off.
Nicole Dales - Journalism is my passion. I have been writing for the last 5 years. I wrote for my high school paper for three years and I had an ...
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