As a Mexican young woman, I am often asked whether or not I have a boyfriend.
To give you a little background on my culture, although it has evolved, women are still expected to be married in their early twenties and, being nineteen, the pressure to be in a relationship is on. I have had many conversations on this topic with friends and family.
As Bushra Shams ’17 says, “Us ambitious [students], we are very possessive of our time, we don’t want to share it with anybody.” With classes, meetings, work, and more, time is so limited in college!
So is there really time to be in a relationship at this point in our lives? The answer: Yes and no. When asked this question, Estefania Ornelas ’16 said, “Yes, college relationships are worth it because we all need somebody to rant to.” Life as a college student can be stressful, and what better person to listen and understand than another college student who enjoys your company?
As a self-identified ambivert, I must say that human interaction is necessary in daily life…to some extent. If a significant other can be a source of support, then he or she is positively shaping your life.
But what if the significant other is not on campus with us? Is it still worth our time According to Christopher Moreno ’19, “Yes, because then [we] have someone to come home to.” There is always a sense of security and comfort in knowing that we have someone who can make themselves available for us when we need him or her.
Although I do agree with many of the reasons why being in a relationship is worth our time, I also disagree. Yes, having someone who can be a constant support and someone to go out with is always fun. however, we have goals to fulfill, and sometimes a relationship can get in the way of those goals. At this point in our lives, when life seems to be nothing but a huge question mark, we are attempting to figure out how we want to move forward into the world.
At this point in our lives, when life seems to be nothing but a huge question mark, we are attempting to figure out how we want to move forward into the world. Maybe running into someone who can be there for you is a positive thing to experience. But as soon as he or she becomes a burden, a relationship becomes a waste of our time.
Having a million things to worry about and then adding one more (that being a boyfriend or girlfriend) can make us completely lose focus on our goals. Now, I’m not saying that we should all be single and watch Netflix while we cry and eat Cherry Garcia ice cream…nobody wants that! All I am saying is that life is changing and people change every day, It is up to you to decide who is worth spending your time with—and on.
With that being said, give time to those who give you time, and enjoy the people around you!
