You gaze at the person who you fell head over heels for and you start to think, “Maybe we should live together?”
But have you thought about the pros and cons of this major move?
Don’t get me wrong, the financial aspect of it looks great. Paying $300 for a 1 bedroom/1 bathroom apartment is way better than paying $600. Who wouldn’t jump on this deal? There are couples out there that get along even better while living together. They may even marry each other and live happily ever after. To those people, I commend them.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” said Taylor Harris, a freshman pre-occupational therapy student from Decatur, Ga. “It can hinder your success while in college, forcing you to focus on real-life issues as opposed to obtaining your degree.”
As for the rest of us, being in love between the ages of 18 and 24 does not mean sharing the responsibilities of marriage. Honestly, if you barely know yourself then how will you know when the time to step up comes? Rooming with your lover can stir up many issues that most of us can’t handle right now.
Finding out your boyfriend doesn’t take showers every night or your girlfriend leaves shaved hair all over the tub, sink and floor is just the beginning.
What happens when you finally say something? Or how do you say it without hurting your lover’s feelings? How do you avoid them over-analyzing the situation and themselves? This could cause major relationship setbacks.
The apartment that was so full of love and warm sentiments becomes cold and an empty; the opposite of what you expected. The actions of right now halt the ideals of forever.
“If your choice is to move in with the person you are dating, you need to make sure you want to be with that person for a long time,” said Eileen Herard, a sophomore physical therapy student. “I think you should wait until you have at least been dating for two years first.”
Life on the Hill is full of social events, budding friendships and a thousand other people looking for that special someone. Even though you’re living together you have to realize that we’re still in college. This is supposed to be the best time of our lives. Just because your significant other’s living situation has changed, don’t suddenly expect their social life to change.
Every relationship has its time where each person grows. Sometimes they grow in different directions. College has ways of making life at the moment seem like forever. Throw in the curveball of falling in love and now you could possibly have a masterpiece for catastrophe.