College is on the horizon for seniors with inevitable decisions. Breakups happen left and right, but what’s the cause? Does the looming presence of the unknown put a strain on high school relationships or make them stronger? A big question for senior couples is whether they stay together or break up for college. Jane, senior, has been in a long term relationship throughout high school. She said she knows she and her boyfriend will be going to different schools, and that this forces them to make a decision.
“We plan to stay together unless something happens,” Jane said. “If we break up I want it to happen more naturally rather than planning it out.”
Jane said the college experience for her is more focused on friendships. She said she hopes to make new friends, meet new people and looks forward to being in a new environment. For Jane, being in a relationship throughout high school has been a beneficial experience and she said she thinks it would be in college too.
“I’ve known him for so long, he’s like one of my best friends,” Jane said. “He’s a support system [for me] too.”
Similarly, John, senior, has also been in a long term relationship and plans to stay with his girlfriend as well. He said being in a relationship has enhanced his high school experience.
“I always have someone to talk to and someone to do stuff with,” John said. “She’s a lot like me and has a lot of similar interests, so it’s easy to go have fun.”
John said despite attempted influence from his classmates and the expectation of breaking up, they plan to stay together. Regardless of the distance that will separate them, John said the driving factor in their decision is trust.
“If we trust each other and we’re confident with our relationship, it’ll work,” John said. “If you don’t do anything that you wouldn’t do when you’re in the same state or town, it doesn’t matter that you’re thousands of miles apart.”
On the other hand, some couples do end up breaking up for college. Julie, KHS alum, said she and her high school boyfriend broke up the summer after senior year, not unexpectedly.
“We kinda always knew we would [break up],” Julie said. “We had been in a relationship for so long and we thought we should definitely learn to grow and be separate people without each other for a little bit.”
With new places and new people, college is a transition similar to a breakup. Julie said this was a tough time for her as their breakup occurred towards the end of the summer.
“It was definitely a rough transition,” Julie said. “Transitioning from high school to college is already hard even though everyone makes it look super fun and easy. It wasn’t really fun going through a breakup at the same time as all of that.”
Beyond this, Julie said that time heals and it’s all for the best. She said she and her ex are still good friends and want the best for each other. Whether these senior couples stay together or not, Julie said she had some insight into the situation.
“Everything was new in the first semester of college and an adjustment,” Julie said. “So I feel like why not enjoy the time you have together and just say goodbye when it’s your time.”
