Tips for Making Long Distance Relationships Work in College

distance

Soon, college acceptance letters will start flooding the mailboxes of graduating seniors. While many students will be accepted to their top choices far from home, many others will be staying closer to their hometowns.

That can be hard for students who are in relationships but aren’t going to the same school, or who will be attending schools in different states. So, how do you make it work? Here are some tips for making a long distance relationship work while in college.

Communicate Often –
Staying in touch (and often) is one of the best things for a long distance relationship. Although you might not be able to see your partner every day, there are tons of tools that you can use to help keep up on each other’s daily lives from email, to Instant Messaging, to live video chats like Google Hangouts or Skype. Check out Mashable’s 36 tools for Long Distance Dating.

Make Travel a Priority –
College students aren’t known for having a lot of extra cash lying around to travel, but when you’re in a long distance relationship, making travel a priority to see each other is important. Be creative about planning trips by using cheap travel sites, taking trains or buses, or switching off visits to each other.

Remain Grounded –
Starting college is all about meeting new people and making new connections. Be sure to be supportive of your partner and understand that while they will be out meeting new people that doesn’t mean that they are out looking for a new relationship. Stay positive and be mindful of doing little things to reassure you’re partner that they are always in the forefront of your thoughts.

Take Advantage –
While not having your boyfriend or girlfriend with you during your time at college is a bummer in many ways, it also means that you will have more time to stay focused on your classes, hobbies and meeting new people. Take advantage of this time by exploring your long-term goals and building a solid network of friends.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mssarakelly/