There is possibly nothing more enchanting than young love. The excitement of vulnerably and releasing the most intimate side of one’s self to the metaphoric and literal embrace of another is all too alluring.
However, without having fully developed a sense of identity, individuals should avoid the binds of a relationship to allow unrestricted exploration of self. In other words, students should break up with their significant others before coming to college.
Texas State has a student population of about 39,000 students. A semester consists of roughly 75 days, and the traditional undergraduate college duration is about eight semesters. If someone were to meet fifty new people every school day for four years, they still would have yet to meet every individual in that population.
Additionally, a portion of the student body gets exchanged for a new chunk of students each semester. Do not forget Texas State is more diverse than nearly three-quarters of colleges in the United States. Suddenly, there is a reality in the expression, “there are plenty of fish in the… San Marcos River.”
In this river, there are numerous species people have never seen nor realized they enjoyed; young people will never figure it out if they continue to cast their poles aside to stay with the goldfish they feel comfortable with.
The sudden plunge a young adult takes into the extraordinary atmosphere of a university or college is indeed a cold and wet one. It can be a shocking cannonball into a group of unfamiliar people and things, foreign to any former influence. Being open to change allows an individual to evaluate the properties within themselves they most strongly identify with and test them against a variety of new ones. It is vital for people to make sure they like what they think they like.
Doe-eyed high school sweethearts will shake their heads at the necessity of being single to understand relational preferences. All opinions are warranted, but unlike the adolescent heart, the aged ticker has seen the ploys and has learned from being duped.
Local residents at the Brookdale Senior Living Center, located at 1720 Ranch Rd 12, were asked personal, in-home surveys regarding their opinions and experiences on love, having crawled through its ropes course.
“You always second guess,” resident Jerald Richard said about initial romantic inclinations. Richard suggested that young wayfarers of romance date at least two or three potential love-interests before making a decisive conclusion. He explained how surprisingly favorable characteristics tend to be discovered through the process of “dating around.” One might find an attractive feature they want in their future somebody that they formally were unaware of.
Residents Max and Margaret Braffett have been married for 12 years. The couple strongly advised against marrying young but said to find someone with common interests when the time comes. Infatuation only gets people so far. Staring longingly into your significant other’s eyes may get boring after a while and shared hobbies allow couples to cherish each other’s company through shared interests.
A final token of wisdom the senior citizens shared was to wait until financially stable to settle down. Tying down a soulmate too soon has the potential to develop premature financial dependencies. Therefore, establishing a stable career prior to settling down can make for a much healthier and happier future.
Ultimately, the conclusion young adults should realize about love is that it is a choice. Saying “au revoir” to a current love interest does not mean the commitment made has been betrayed. It is a necessary step to allow for independent growth with the possibility of finding a stronger and more mature relationship later on.
It is no surprise the divorce rate declines as the age of the bride and groom rises. Perhaps during the separation post-high school, one of the two people experience additional personal growth in a different direction. It is often the fear of losing a good thing that prevents appropriate break-ups. However, there exists a familiar maxim that if you love something, let it go and if it comes back, it is yours. If it doesn’t come back, it never was.
– Elisabeth Harper is a wildlife biology sophomore