I know, it's that time of year. Midterms are coming, every single one of your professors just assigned you a project, and your body is running on coffee alone. But all you can think about is spring break.
You're so ready to hit the beach, the road, or maybe just the couch and take a load off. But if you're in a committed relationship, you may be a little worried about how things will work out between you and your partner during this wild week of fun.
It's hard to have the time of your life if you're fighting with your significant other, so use these tips on how to make this break run smoothly. As a girl that's been happily dating the same dude for three and a half years, I'd like to think I know a thing or two about relationships. Here's what I suggest you do to keep you and your sweetie on good terms during spring break.
1. Get on the same page
Tell each other about your plans and intentions for vacation, before spring break. Where are you going? What do you plan to do? Where are you staying? Providing them with simple information about your trip will prevent them from feeling like you're ditching them or keeping secrets from them. This is especially important if the two of you are heading to separate destinations or one of you is staying home.
2. Keep each other informed
Once break has finally arrived, make an effort to keep each other up to date about what's going on. Whether that means calling or texting at a certain time of the day to catch up, or meeting up at a rendezvous point every few hours—find something that works for the two of you. No one expects you to spend your entire vacation worrying about your significant other. But if you fall off the face of the earth for five days when you're supposedly at the beach, your significant other might spend their entire vacation worrying about you. Do them a favor and hit them up.
3. Communicate
Communication (as I'm sure you've been told) is essential in every aspect of a relationship no matter the circumstances, but it is particularly important here. You and your partner need to be able to let each other know what you're thinking and feeling. Spring break should be fun for everyone. So if something is wrong, speak up. Don't like how your boyfriend acts when he's super drunk? Ask him to tone it down. Wish your girlfriend would spend a little more time with you? Tell her. That being said, if your S.O. comes to you with something that's bothering them, you need to be open to their concerns and suggestions, too.
4. Treat your partner how you want to be treated
I think we all know things can get a little crazy during spring break, and that's okay. But when you're in a relationship that you want to keep, you should do your S.O. the courtesy of thinking about their feelings even at times like this. Before you do anything too spontaneous, ask yourself this question: would I like it if my boyfriend/girlfriend did this? If the answer is no, absolutely DO NOT do the spontaneous thing. If you're unsure about how they would feel, you can always ask. But you should never expect your partner to be okay with you doing something that you would not want them to do.
5. Have fun!
You've made it halfway through the semester—you deserve this break. Be mindful of your significant other, but keep your focus on the party. Before you know it, college will be over, and spring break will be a thing of the past (cue the tears).
Now while putting effort into your relationship is healthy and important, you should keep a few things in mind. If your partner is completely uncooperative with your attempts to communicate with them, mocks you for wanting to know what they're up to, purposely ignores you, gives you reason to believe they've been unfaithful while away—then your relationship wasn't meant to make it through spring break. Everyone deserves to love and cherish someone who loves and cherishes them just as much, including you. Don't hesitate to take your partner's signals seriously. You deserve better.
Relationships sure can be tough, but with a little communication, thoughtfulness, and a good attitude, things will turn out just fine. Follow these tips to keep your spring break lit and not only make it through, but also come out stronger than ever.