My grandma always said to me, “You better find a guy while you’re in college or all the good ones will be taken.” I know in this statement there is a lot of concern from her. But, in that also comes a lot of stress. Statements like these cause college students to go about dating in college in three ways. First, it leads to you jumping from relationship to relationship. Second, you may find somebody and let them become your sole purpose in life. Third, you’re searching for a relationship out of fear, when you’re not ready to be in one.
I have seen many friends jump from one relationship to another and honestly, it boils down to it being a comparison game. College students want to search for the perfect match. What if I said I believed there is no such thing as the perfect person for you? Those thoughts are what break marriages apart. A marriage is strong when love and commitment are at work, not because you married the perfect person.
What I have seen in a majority of college relationships is the ‘husband and wife syndrome.’ Couples begin to live together, sleep together and well, do everything together. When you let your significant other become your sole purpose, you often lose your identity in that person. You living with that person is you saying you are okay with being in a contract relationship- not a committed one. Your significant other is not your husband or wife until there is a ring and a ceremony. Living with them and becoming one before marriage can lead to a world of hurt.
People assume college students are in a good place in life to be dating. That is not always the case. College students can date from fear and it can be hard to determine who is ready for a lasting relationship. Wait until you’re ready for marriage because when you go into it with the right motives there is more weight to it.
Dating always deserves to be taken seriously, especially when hearts are on the line. Whether you realize it or not, each relationship carries into the next one in some form. Once you’re ready to settle down, then settle down. There is no need to rush into finding someone. Enjoy the season you’re in.
If you like the fun and games and overwhelming uncertainty that come along with these dating lifestyles, at least remember that hearts are a part of this game. Hurt is inevitable and everyone will dish it out and plant themselves in it in different ways- choose wisely in dating.