Relationships are difficult to manage, whether you live together or only see each other occasionally, but the ultimate test for a relationship is University.
Relationships are difficult to manage, whether you live together or only see each other occasionally, but the ultimate test for a relationship is University.
When I found out that I was going to Nottingham Trent Uni and my boyfriend was going to Coventry Uni I was worried about our relationship because we were used to seeing each other every day. We lived very close to each other, so I could just jump in the car and be at his house in minutes. That was all about to change.
There’s nothing like a supportive friend who says, ‘you spend the first year crying over Skype then you break up and feel like you missed out on a whole year of fun’. That was a great thing to hear the day before I moved away. And okay so I have got upset on webcam one time but other than that it’s been great.
The hardest part was on the day I moved into my student accommodation and had to say goodbye to my parents and boyfriend. He decided to stay for a bit longer so we could say goodbye on our own – which obviously meant he was scared to kiss me in front of my Dad. We chatted for a while and just got comfortable; trying to ignore the fact that he had to go soon and life was going to be completely different from this point on. After an emotional goodbye and lots of cuddles he left. After the hard part was over I felt positive about the situation.
Starting university is a terrifying concept and everyone is scared about the same things. My main concern was who I would be living with and what the place would be like; all I could think as I walked into the flat was ‘please don’t be like Stig of the dump’. Luckily my flat mates are very nice and we all get on well together, but having my boyfriend to talk to and share these concerns was brilliant. We were going through exactly the same experiences at exactly the same time so he always understood what I meant and how I felt.
We agreed that we would come home to see each other at the weekends as our Universities are not too far from home and so far we have stuck to that. It makes the time we have at the weekends extra special and we get to really appreciate how much we care about each other because we spend all week looking forward to Friday afternoons when we get to head home.
I know that a lot of people say university is the best years of your life and you need to enjoy it and not be restricted, but I don’t see a relationship as a restriction. I can go out whenever I want to, I’ve made lots of friends and I thoroughly enjoy my course. Surely a good looking and trustworthy boyfriend is just a bonus on top of all that?
There’s no pretending that Uni works for everyone but I can honestly say we are happy and getting on well with our courses and each other. For anyone who is worried about their relationship lasting at university, I would advise you to ignore what others say and just take it day by day. We’re in our first year and have three more to go and we have high hopes for the future. University is to build up our careers not break down our relationship.
