The love you find in college is a love like no other. There is something that is so special about it. College is a crazy time, but having someone by your side to ride out the journey makes it 10x better.
This is a transitional time in your life.
It’s a middle ground. You have responsibilities you didn’t have in high school, but you still don’t have to manage your whole life yet. You don’t have to have it all together, which is great because that allows you to figure it out alongside someone else.
This isn’t an easy time.
College brings out a whirlwind of emotions. Whether it be because you failed a test or are overwhelmed, you have your person there to help and support you. They will calm you down and know how best to help, and as a result, a bond builds between you both.
Your significant other is going through the exact same thing as you. It’s not very often that you meet someone who is at the exact same stage of life, around the same age, and doing the same things as you. Except if you’re in college. You both will be taking classes, falling asleep in lectures, and suffering through terrible café food together, and that’s special because when you complain, they get it.
You get forced to spend time apart.
This might not seem like a special thing, but some couples never spend a day apart. If I had the choice, I wouldn’t want to spend long periods of time away from my boyfriend, but college forces me to during breaks. Sure, spending the summer apart isn’t ideal, but like they say: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” This break allows you to realize just how important they are to you…and if it doesn’t then that should be a huge red flag.
You have goals, but they aren’t set in stone.
You know more than ever where you want to go in life and what you want to do, but nothing is concrete. This will hopefully allow you to adapt both of your goals to fit with the other’s. You have a few years to figure it all out and make it work.
You can be irresponsible together.
Sometimes, skipping studying to watch Netflix or putting off writing a paper to go out for food is just a part of college, and now you have someone to do that with you. You’re able to embrace the immature part of yourself and that is a very special part of you for someone to see.
You see them at their best and their worst.
You see them at random times on random days doing random things. You’ll see how clean they keep their room, if they keep up with their dishes, are they always late for class, are they respectful of their roommates? This knocks out the “living together” stage in a way because you have already seen them in some peculiar scenarios. You know their tics and learn to love them in spite of those.
You begin planning your life together.
This is a big one. You no longer are just thinking of yourself and what you want post college. You begin to think of what your significant other wants, how they factor into your equation, and making sure it all fits. It’s at the forefront of your mind, and the thought of graduating, actually moving into your first apartment together, and starting “big people” jobs together excites you. You stay up late talking about post college plans, dreaming of the house you’ll buy, the vacations you’ll take, and the children you’ll have.
There is something magical about the love you find in college, because of these reasons and more. If you just so happen to stumble upon your soul mate while you’re in college, hold onto them and never let them go. I know I won’t.
Featured image via Jonathan Borba on Pexels
