The coronavirus outbreak has quickly changed nearly every facet of American life. As colleges across the country have temporarily closed, moved classes online, and shut dorm doors to residents, many students have been left in a lurch. This experience has been particularly jarring and abrupt for college seniors; the coronavirus outbreak means they're not likely to walk at graduation or enjoy many of the senior spring perks they've been looking forward to for years.
In the midst of a global pandemic, of course, there are far more important things to worry about than dating: your health and the health of your loved ones; the doctors, nurses, grocery store employees, and delivery workers on the front lines of this crisis; the waiters, bartenders, and sales associates, and many more who have lost their jobs; the economy. While stressful, the threat of being indefinitely single or suddenly finding yourself in a long-distance relationship might not feel that pressing in the grand scheme of things.
But the irony of this pandemic is that just when we crave comfort and connection the most, it might be out of reach. The pursuit of love (or just a good time) has long been a thrilling, all-consuming, and formative part of the college experience. For seniors, the stakes feel even higher. I spoke to 15 seniors about how the coronavirus outbreak has affected their love lives. Here's what they had to say.
I’ve been seeing a boy and he’s part of the reason I’ve decided to stay in the area for now! We matched on Tinder about a month ago, went on a few dates, and things were looking good. Then last week, we had spring break where we got the news in the middle of the week that we would have an extended break and online classes for two weeks. Everyone then began practicing social distancing. In the meantime, we’ve texted and kept in contact, and I’ve seen him once at his place after dinner. Then, my university made the decision to remain online for the remainder of the semester. I go to school in Texas but my family is in California. Part of the reason I’ve decided to stay in my apartment in Texas, rather than return home, is him. Things have been progressing well with him, and I don’t want to move away and give up on this potential relationship because we both see it going somewhere. He’s been working from home and practicing social distancing, as well as myself. We haven’t been in contact with many others, so we’re comfortable seeing each other in person still. We’ve been watching shows we have in common and planning nights to cook dinner together!
— Alexa, 22, Texas Christian University
My boyfriend and I are quarantining together at his family's home in Philadelphia. Despite the fact that we both have apartments in New York, we thought it would be more comfortable to be in an actual house and with his family while we attempt to manage this chaos. I'm so grateful that his parents have taken me in. They're such generous people.
While we love spending time together, it's definitely a challenge to be together all day, every day. I miss being able to come home after work or school and tell him everything that happened, the good and the bad. There's also less privacy since we're with his parents and sister, so even if we do get into a small disagreement, we don't always have the space to talk it out right away.
That being said, my boyfriend is probably one of the most patient people I know and we read each other very well. We know each other's needs (especially in moments of stress). There's no one else I'd rather quarantine with. I imagine that if I had to be away from him during this time, I'd be even more anxious, more upset than I am now. On the brighter side, we've gotten to indulge in some of our favorite things like reading together, bingeing TV shows, cooking, running and more.
This hasn't impacted much of our future plans. We had to cancel our spring break trip to visit some of his family members in Colombia, but vacationing is the least of people's worries right now.
— Madeline, 22, NYU
This is the situation my relationship is trained for - my boyfriend of four years and I are practically professional homebodies. But since entering social distancing, I’ll be honest, I was worried the confinement would put extreme pressure on us both, coupled with the already heightened of levels of stress brought on by the current crisis. We quickly set up both time and space boundaries in our little apartment: We have a set schedule, and I work in the living room and he works in the bedroom. I realized right away that I cannot stop myself from being a distraction — since he’s “home” I want to show him a funny tweet, a particularly dramatic TikTok, or read him a caption I’m scheduling. I also realized that he likes to report the ever-changing news to me, live — which is really difficult for my focus.
Now we’re heading to separate family homes to enter a more serious shelter in place. It’s a weird situation that I’m sure a lot of people are in — we’re adults, going home, without our partner. It feels like I’m in high school again, but with rent and better developed anxiety.
— Justina, 22, California State University, Fullerton
I’m Indian, and while my family is progressive and knows about my partner (most Indian kids I know don’t tell their parents out of fear of their anger), they don’t ~love~ that I date. So, it’s not out of the question to see my partner while I’m living at home, but I certainly can’t go away with him, spend overnight dates, or make plans without asking my parents for permission first. My concern is definitely that I won’t be able to see him for a while in person, thanks to the fact that I can’t leave my house for more than a day due to parental restriction, and we can’t go anywhere on dates because everything is closed in Ohio. Therefore, there’s no telling when I’ll see my partner next.
— Lalitha, 22, The Ohio State University
My boyfriend was in Italy studying abroad last semester, so this is the second time this year we’ll be apart for a longer period of time. We’re about an hour and half apart now, which is a lot better than being an ocean apart. When he was in Europe, it was harder to contact him because of the time zone difference. Now that we are back in the same time zone, it is way easier to video chat, text, and make calls. The thought of not knowing when we will see each other again makes this situation seem more grim and dreadful for sure, but we know a quarantine won't change anything between us. We have been through three-and-a-half months of not seeing each other in person, so this is something we are familiar with. It’s still hard, of course, but I know in the end, when this is over, it will all be fine.
— Taylor, 20, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
My boyfriend is a sophomore and I’m a senior. I’ve been studying for the MCAT and stressing about getting a job post-graduation, and he’s been so supportive by bringing me coffee, sitting with me at the library and so much more. We were looking forward to having time after the MCAT to hang out, but last Wednesday, our school sent out an email saying that all underclassmen had to evacuate New Orleans. We had to say bye on our official six-month anniversary. Thankfully, we already talked about the idea of us being long-distance after graduation, but this has made that happen way sooner than we were ready for. We have no idea when we’ll see each other next.
— Juli, 21, Tulane
I’m in a long-distance relationship, so we’re just still long-distance during this time! We weren’t going to see each other until the end of April or May, anyway, so I’m hoping that’ll just stay the same.
— Molly, 21, La Salle University
I am in a long-distance relationship with someone in Germany. We have been dating for nine months (as of today!) and have been doing long-distance since meeting in Spain in June last year. My plan was to move to Germany to be with him after graduating, but now that our commencement has been postponed until December, I’m not sure when I’ll make it over.
It’s hard having seven hours between us and I have been looking forward to his two planned visits in April and May (which aren’t happening anymore). But now, I don’t know when I’ll see him next. It’s sad and lonely to know that even if I wanted to recklessly buy a ticket to him, I can’t right now. It’s kind of nice to know it’s not our schedules, budgets, or personal lives getting in the way of trips to see each other — it’s something we can’t change personally. It’s made it easier for us to accept. We’ll see each other again soon, I’m sure. I think that I have hope.
— Katie, 21, Colorado State University
*Name has been changed.
If you think you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, shortness of breath, and cough, call your doctor before going to get tested. If you’re anxious about the virus’s spread in your community, visit the CDC for up-to-date information and resources, or seek out mental health support. You can find all Elite Daily's coverage of coronavirus here.
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