Tips for Long-Distance Relationships in College

Many people think trying to maintain a long-distance relationship in college isn't possible. If you go into it with that attitude, it will never last. However, if you go into it with a positive outlook and a plan, you can make it work. I went to school almost 11 hours away from home for three years, and my relationship with my boyfriend has never been better. If there is a will, there is a way. Read below to find some tips on how you can make your long-distance relationship work.

Be honest

Honesty is always the best policy, but it's even more critical when you're so many miles away from your significant other. It makes things easier by just being honest with each other as opposed to lying, even if it's a small thing.

Ground rules

Before one, or both of you, head off to college, ground rules need to be set. This is to make sure you both understand what you are looking for, what things would bother you, etc. You don't want to get to school and see your significant other doing something that you're upset about, but never discussed. You both need to be clear about all of your expectations while away from each other, so nothing is left up in the air.

Prioritize school/sports

While you're trying to make your relationship work, you need to remember why you're at school in the first place. I went to school almost 11 hours away on a soccer scholarship. So, while making my relationship work was important to me, I had to remember that my main focus needed to be school and soccer.

Set a schedule

It makes things a lot easier when you have a set schedule for when you both are free to talk. This leaves no surprises, no room to get upset, and gives you the time to visit with each other. It can be in the morning, in between classes, or in the evening when you're both winding down for the night.

Plan visits

While it depends a lot on how far away you are from each other and your means for transportation, try to plan visits to see each other throughout the semester. This can help cut the long period of time you don't get to see other down a bit.

Communicate what's bothering you

Since you aren't getting to see other, little things can make you mad easier than they usually would. It's essential to communicate to your partner what it is that's bothering you because if you don't, it can make things get worse before one of you snaps on the other.

Encourage each other to do things

One of the easiest ways to get down and sad is when you maintain a long-distance relationship, and you aren't getting involved in anything at your school. Both my boyfriend and I had sports in addition to school, so we didn't have much free time to get down and sad about not seeing each other. This made things easier in a way because we were both doing our own stuff and then coming together at the end of the day to talk about it and everything else.

Make new friends

It is so essential to make new friends when you are in a long-distance relationship. Without them, things could get pretty lonely, pretty fast. I made some of my best friends in college, my boyfriend as well, and we've been able to introduce each other to our friends, so we all get to know each other. It has helped us when we're not only a part, but when we're together as well.

Stay positive!

At the end of the day, the best thing you can do for your relationship is to stay positive about it. There will be some hard days, but then there will also be great days. It's necessary to keep a good attitude about things so you can both flourish at your respective colleges, all while maintaining a strong relationship with each other. If you want to work, you can make it work.