How Do Committed Relationships Affect College Students?

College life is filled with many transitions. New challenges include the possibility of having to move away from home, the responsibilities of being more independent, a new environment and the pressures of handling coursework while still maintaining an active social life. A committed relationship can be helpful within this balancing act, but according to the article, "Committed Relationships and School," published by the University of Illinois, it may also present its own set of difficulties.

Being involved in a committed relationship can put extra demands on your time. Consider that you must manage your course schedule along with the assignments and tests that are involved. Besides classes and your boyfriend or girlfriend, you may also have the responsibility of a part-time job. If you still live at home or close enough to travel back and forth regularly, you must also set aside time to spend with your family and take care of any responsibilities you may have at home. A lot of understanding is necessary between you and your partner so that no one person feels neglected in the relationship.

College life can be quite stressful to handle, what with approaching deadlines for assignments or upcoming exams. A romantic partner can be a source of comfort, strength and encouragement when you are feeling stressed because things are tough, notes the article "Love and Romance" on the Teens Health website. Support can come in the form of a neck massage when you are feeling tense, listening as you vent about a difficult professor, or telling you that you are doing a good job and to keep going.

Romantic partners can be an added asset during college life besides acting as a means to escape the pressures of school. As partners, you can help each other with coursework, especially where one person is stronger in a particular subject. If your boyfriend is an English major, he can help you to research and write your paper for your elective course, while as a Chemistry major, you can help him review for his Natural Science exam. You can both keep each other accountable for studying and completing assignments. At the end of the term, you can use some of your together time to quiz each other for finals.

In order to make a romantic relationship work, you will need to be flexible with your time. Keep in mind that different times throughout the school year are busier than others, especially when major assignments are due and exams are scheduled. In these cases, you both need to realize that as much as you have a commitment to your relationship, you also have a commitment to school. This may mean that you reschedule some date nights or lessen the time you would normally spend together.