Got Long Distance?
...ut we are just like any other couple, aside from the fact that we only see each other once every one or two months. There are a few things, however, to keep in mind if you plan on starting a long distance relationship any time soon. These things are your phone bill, time management and perspective. The first thing to keep in mind is a phone bill. Phone bills are the curse of every poor college student, especially those who are in long distance relationships. Fortunately for us, the Internet has been invented. Instant messenger (IM) is a great way to keep in touch with not only your significant other, but also other friends from high school. There will be times, however, that words on a screen will just not do. Plan ahead for those times. Budget a certain amount of time each month so you don’t break the bank talking to your sweetie until two o’clock in the morning. Along with the phone bill goes time management. I know you miss him/her. I know you feel you need to talk to him/her. But really, talking to him/her for six hours on IM probably is not the best idea the night before your fifteen-page research paper is due. One of the keys to being successful in a long distance relationship is knowing when you have six hours to waste and when it’s time to stop using your significant other to procrastinate. I myself am particularly good at this one. “Oh no, hon, I’ve got at least another hour before I need to start working on my homework.” Suddenly an hour has become three, and it’s one o’clock in the morning. Oops! However much you may think sleep is a waste of time, it is not. You and your sweetie will have much better conversations when you are not sleep deprived and stressed over a paper due the next day. The last thing to keep in mind is perspective. When you are in a long distance relationship, problems tend to amplify. Whether or not you actually have big problem, it will appear to be one. The farther the distance, the bigger the problem will seem. Take a deep breath. Think about it. Is it really as much of an issue as you think it is? Take for example a couple who makes it through the first five months or so of their relationship relatively problem free. No major arguments. No silly fights. No not speaking to each other. They are getting along great. Then, BAM! One night he doesn’t get online when he says he will. A million things run through her mind. He’s been in a car accident. He was walking somewhere and got mugged and is now lying stabbed in a gutter. He’s with another girl. Aliens have kidnapped him. A half hour later his name flashes up on the screen and she thinks, “He better have a really good excuse for this!” The guy, not realizing his horrible offense, calmly says, “Hey babe, what’s up?” A heated argument ensues, ending with two very tart “Good nights.” They each lie awake in bed thinking, “Oh no! I’ve ruined our relationship!” Don’t worry. Just like a normal relationship, if it is meant to be, each of you will want to talk through any argument you’ve had and hopefully you will come to an understanding with each other. Now, if you are one of those people who go around saying long distance doesn’t work, who do you think you are? Maybe long distance didn’t work for you, but as for the rest of us, we want to give it a shot for ourselves. Although, for the most part, it is hard to make long distance relationships stand the test of time and as unlikely as it may seem, there exist people throughout the course of history who survived being a...