We constantly hear so many bad things about being in a relationship, like how it will slow you down or you will lose your friends. I'm not trying to kill the single girl movement, but there are benefits to being in a healthy relationship in college. I have been with my SO for about a year now and here are the advantages that I have found.
1. Safety
When most people think of big steps in a relationship, they think of engagement or moving in together, but putting your SO down as your emergency contact can be just as big. As an out of state student, it’s comforting to know that there is someone in the area who can be my emergency contact. Additionally, it helps both people see the mutual importance of the relationship.
2. Constant Best Friend
Oftentimes in life friends come and go. When you’re in a relationship in college, you get to keep your best friend the whole time. This makes college easier because you always have someone to do activities with. Whether you enjoy trying new restaurants, seeing new movies, or hitting up the bars, you always have that person by your side. Not to mention you always have a date.
3. Constant Comedian
According to eHarmony a sense of humor is one of the seven qualities of an ideal partner and I could not agree more. Life is too hard not to be smiling and laughing all the time. Being in a relationship in college means being with someone who you’re constantly laughing with.
Your SO can roast you better than anyone because they know all your weird habits (like the fact you will not put on your left sock before your right).
4. Two Brains
Wait, what? I’m not saying you should take over your SO’s brain like some power crazy alien, but rather you have another person to bounce ideas off of. Oftentimes while brainstorming or thinking of situations I discuss these things with my SO. Because let’s be honest, when something is consuming your brain you want to talk about it. A SO can serve as a second brain to help you think of details you may have forgotten.
5. Learning
Maybe your SO has the same major as you (but probably not). Having a SO in another major has taught me some things about an industry I never cared for previously. My eyes have been opened to the world of coding, while my SO has learned a lot about my major, agriculture and the food industry. Being in a relationship in college can open your eyes to learning about new things.
6. Personal cheerleader
College is tough, but having your own personal cheerleader makes it a little easier. Having a SO means having someone else besides your parents telling you that you can do it. A SO is someone who will tell you that, "everything will be okay" and proceed to give you a hug. Having someone who cheers you on through your highs and lows can make even the lowest of the lows not seem so bad.
7. Compare the crazies
Being in a relationship often leads to meeting your SO's family as well as them meeting yours. This is probably after hearing all about them from your SO as well as your SO hearing about your family. After you each meet both families, you get to compare whose family is crazier, which can be quite funny.
8. Two entrees please
After three months into a relationship, if one person orders fries both of y'all get fries. Often times my SO offers me a bite of his food, which ends up being three or four bites and he takes a few bites of mine. For a foodie like me, I love being able to try many entrees while only ordering one.
9. Two houses
Most likely during college you and your SO are not going to be living together. This is like having divorced parents all over again, you have some stuff at their house and they have some stuff at your house. Now you have the luxury of going over to the other person's house if your heat cuts off during the winter.
10. Networking
Your SO most likely has a different friend group than you do. This is a great advantage to both of you, because not only are you able to create friendships with your SO's friends, but this allows you to network with people you may not have known before. This could be resourceful later on when your company needs to hire for positions like a web designer or may even be the connection to your next job. Clearly having a SO during college isn't too bad.