Romantic relationships and school

by Kirsten Deane

​It’s no secret that being a student, whether it be in high school or university, can be stressful, especially if you have the extra responsibility of a romantic relationship. It’s easy to get distracted by the one you love and all that mushy stuff that comes with a relationship, and the brutal truth is that it can drastically affect your studies. However, you can wipe the nervous sweat off your forward because I’m here to help! Yes, there are ways that you can be in a healthy, romantic relationship and still excel in your work. Here are a few tips to help you get there

If you’re dating somebody who isn’t a student themselves or somebody who does not necessarily have the same work load as you, it’s important to help them understand what goes into your studies straight from the jump. If you have a romantic partner who doesn’t take into consideration the importance of your work, it can result in you being distracted and not spending the amount of time on your studies (we all hate to admit this) that you know you should. There are many ways that you can help your partner understand this, one way being through setting boundaries. It is so important for you to set boundaries between your romantic relationships and your studies because if you let either one too close to each other, you’ll be in danger of major self-destruction! You need to let your partner know that when you’re busy with your work, they need to give you your space to concentrate. Let your partner know that they absolutely cannot be demanding your attention when you’re in class, completing an assignment or studying. By making this clear from the beginning, your partner will know the importance that your studies hold…Well, that’s what we hope. If setting these boundaries still doesn’t help your partner to understand then just express to them how important your studies are to you. It does drastically affect your future, after all. 
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It is so important to find a balance between all things in your life, especially between your romantic relationships and your studies. You need to spend time deciding on how you’re going to balance these two big things in your life…and you can do this by dividing your time smartly! You can do this according to your workload because remember, that’s your top priority (well, it should be). From my own personal experience, I would say that the best thing to do is dedicate Mondays to Thursdays to your studies, as well as Sundays. I am including Sundays for the fact that you can use it to prepare yourself for the Monday to follow, that way, Monday won’t feel as strenuous! Fridays and Saturdays can be your, what I like to call, fun days. You can spend time with your partner without worrying about your workload because you have already dedicated time for it.

I hate to say this and make romantic relationships sound like a project, but you need to monitor your romantic relationships. Okay, hear me out, we all know that romantic relationships can affect every part of our lives and with that being said, you need to keep an eye on the effects your romantic relationship is having on your studies. If you’re lucky, your partner will understand and give you that space which won’t allow your studies to be affected negatively. More often than not, your romantic relationship can become a distraction and result in you slacking in your studies. Keep your eye out for these effects because the sooner you spot it, the sooner you can stop it (there’s a good motto for you)!

​I’ll bring us to a close by saying this:
Remember your studies hold a great importance in your life and will open many doors for you! Don’t allow anything to take its place.