If you’re reading this, then congratulations; you survived Valentines Day 2016. This goes for those that are single and those that are in relationships. For those that are single, I’m sure you may feel the sting of watching others walk hand-in-hand giving each other heart eyes. For those that are in relationships, I’m sure you may have felt the pressure of trying to outdo the other couples by showering your significant other with extravagant gifts. Whichever category you fit in to, you survived.
If there were ever a time when Valentines Day felt so “relevant” it would be when I got to college. And who celebrates Valentines Day? The people that are in relationships, of course! Well, you have some “situationships” too, but that’s not the point.
Being that we are much older, from a young woman’s perspective, I think relationships in college are to be taken more seriously. However, from what I’ve seen and heard from young men, college is more of a time to test the waters with more than one person. Whatever the case may be, relationships in college can be somewhat difficult if you’re not in it for all the right reasons.
There’s more of an underlying pressure, from what I’ve encountered, for young women to be in a relationship. It’s as if we’re supposed to prepare ourselves to become a wife while we’re trying to hold down a job, school work and extracurricular activities. Sometimes I almost feel like the focus is placed more on getting married and less on getting our degree, which is the whole point of us being in college in the first place.
Finding your spouse in college isn’t a bad thing for a young woman or a young man, but I think that shouldn’t always be the reason you get into a relationship with someone–in hopes of finding your husband or wife. Be knowledgeable of what you like in a significant other and what you don’t like so you’re not crushed into a million pieces when your Pinterest board for your future wedding doesn’t come to fruition because your relationship failed.
College relationships can be as serious or as casual as the two people involved want it to be, no matter how others may feel. Relationships at this age, in my opinion, are to be enjoyed and able to grow with someone. If that’s not for you then that’s completely fine, and if it is then that’s fine too.
And it shouldn’t take a “holiday” like Valentine’s Day to shower your significant other or yourself with the love they deserve and you deserve. There’s enough love to go around for everyone and if you don’t have a special someone to give it to, always give it to yourself. If you do have a special someone shower them with love everyday not just one day out of the year.
