Long Distance Relationships

Q: Is it possible to have a long distance relationship at Emory? Because mine’s driving me crazy.

Relationships in any college situation are more difficult than they were in high school. From an academic perspective, college is so demanding that it is sometimes difficult to prioritize the maintenance of our relationships. In addition to the anxiety of school, the social pressures and stressors only make things more difficult. Meeting new people drunk on Eagle Row, or even bumping into that unexpected stranger in a towel on your hall might throw a monkey wrench into your perfect idea of a relationship.

Considering all of this, having to deal with infinite issues on campus will certainly put strains on your relationship, be it a local relationship or long-distance. If your boyfriend or girlfriend is also in college, they are definitely experiencing the same things you are. Maybe it’s nice to find comfort in that, or it might scare you shitless. The last thing you might want to picture is your high school sweetheart bumping into the point guard of the basketball team in his towel on her hall. With so many unknowns about your partner’s social experience at college, you might begin to feel insecure. If you think that’s tough, try keeping the love alive with this: the phone. The phone is your portal to everything encompassing love in a long-distance relationship. From squeezing in time before class to say “I miss you” to filling each other in about your day, these small things are vital to your relationship’s success. The obnoxious part is, when on your twenty-seventh call of the day you run out of things to say. If the person were there, you could just tell them to shut up and cuddle, but unfortunately that’s not the case with long-distance relationships.

How to fix this? One of the most important things is to be honest with yourself and your significant other. It is important to have honest conversations about how both of you are doing and if the relationship is working well. The amount of communication is not as important as what you actually discuss. Maybe keep a phone schedule that’s more abbreviated than your calling plan allows. Your parents will thank you for the extra minutes, and you’ll be thanking yourselves as well. Longing to talk to your lover once or twice a day will keep excitement levels high, plus conversations won’t be dull. Use snail mail. A surprise in your mailbox will make your day, or quite possibly your week. Even better, throw a pair of underwear in the envelope to keep things interesting. Spice things up. Try not to get into too much of a routine. Plan an unexpected visit. AirtranU is a cheap way for students to fly. Try to web-cam once in a while. Seeing that special someone will remind you why you’re pushing through these hard times. After all of this effort, if love is still on the rocks, get the hell out! Don’t be afraid to try new things closer to home.

Good luck. We know it’s hard. Oh, and make sure your roommate isn’t around when you’re web-camming it.