6 Questions To Ask Your College Sweetheart If You're Going To Keep Dating
It's the end of your final term, and you have been in the same, steady relationship for a while. Maybe you've been together throughout college or just for the semester. When you're about to graduate, the status of your relationship can begin to take a toll on your decision making.
Have you been questioning this relationship and where it could be heading?
Here are six questions to help you decide if you should continue your relationship after college:
Do You Challenge Each Other Intellectually?
If you find yourself bored and complacent in your relationship, it's probably time to get out. Being able to hold a conversation with your partner is crucial to the success of a relationship. There may come a time when you want someone you can talk to. If you're bored in the relationship, it's time to get out because it will only get worse.
No, you don't need to have scholarly conversations if you don't want. But, you should be able to talk current events and other topics in a way that engages you both. Being able to communicate is key.
Can You See A Clear Future?
Whether it's a long-term relationship, marriage, kids or 20 dogs, you should be able to see a clear future with your partner. You are graduating and about to enter the real world. Do you have what it takes to survive? Do you share similar visions for the future? If your visions totally collide, it's going to be very difficult to maintain the relationship long-term.
Consider this: Talking about the future is tough, but it will make your decision much more clear and easy. If they don't want to have a conversation about the future, they probably can't see far enough ahead for your relationship to work out in the long run.
Could You Live Together?
Do you find yourself irritated with their quirks or can you overlook them? Being able to live together says a lot about your relationship. If you can't even be in the room together for extended periods of time, you have a BIG problem. Try and stay with one another for a few nights, consecutively, and see how it goes. Living with someone is much different than just crashing at each others' dorm rooms a few nights a week (trust me).
Many couples realize they won't stay together after going on a vacation somewhere for even a few nights. Test it out before you make the big move.
What Do Your Friends Think?
Your friends and family can often see more into the relationship from the outside than you can. We can be blinded by love when the relationship really isn't meant to be. Your personalities might clash or the romance is only temporary.
Take the time to talk to close friends and family about your relationship. They could offer valuable insights on where it could be headed and what complications they see. If there are few concerns, you are on the right track.
Is Your Relationship A Constant Battle?
Maintaining a relationship can be tough, but it's near impossible when you fight constantly.
Fighting occasionally to get things off of your chest can be healthy, but fighting every day is very unhealthy and leaves the relationship volatile. You want to make each other happy and be able to talk through things without an explosion. We all know those couples who break up every time they fight... DON'T BE THAT COUPLE.
Are You Supportive Of One Another?
Do you encourage one another to fulfill their goals and cherish their accomplishments? Do you congratulate them and, honestly, feel proud when they succeed? Can you support them through the tough times without crawling away?
Being supportive is one of the most important aspects of your relationship. Without support, the relationship is bound to fall apart. Never take your significant other's support for granted because that is a huge part of what makes your relationship strong.
Keep your mind open to the possibilities of a long-term relationship. They can seem scary with the stress of graduating and finding a job, but if it's meant to be, it will happen.
In the end, you will know what the right steps are to take in your relationship. Share with each other and don't be afraid to take chances. If this relationship isn't for you, now is the time to loosen the ropes that are holding you together.
Be mindful of their feelings and receptive to their opinions.