College is a time when students learn who they are. It is a time for exploration and making relationships. 

In college, you are around new people, making new friends and sometimes even making romantic relationships.

“My experience with dating in college is limited, but I’m very grateful to have met my partner my first semester freshman year!” said Kellen O’Neil, a sophomore mass communication major. “College has allowed me to feel comfortable in my relationship. I feel like it’s definitely helped us establish a long-term relationship. However, things like money and time definitely create some challenges that can be overcome with open communication.”

But not everyone is lucky enough to find a romantic partner that early in college, especially in this day and age, where “situationships” are very popular.

“I haven’t been in a relationship in college,” said Victoria Simmerman, a sophomore nursing major. “I’ve experienced situationships but nothing serious. I have not had bad experiences, but I feel in this generation, college is just situationships and hookup culture.”

College teaches students both academically and emotionally. Students are studying while also balancing new friendships and relationships. They are meeting an entire new pool of people the second they walk through their college’s doors.

 “College has made me aware of how important my time is and has taught me to value my time with my boyfriend,” O’Neil said.

According to YouGov, half of Americans ages 18 to 34 have been in a “situationship.” But it is not just situationships that are on the rise; so is online dating. 

“A situationship is essentially being committed to a person but without the title,” Simmerman said. “However, a situationship can be unhealthy because at times, you do not understand where you and your partner stand. It can be emotionally draining.”

With apps like Tinder, Hinge and Bumble, it has started opening up new ways of dating. People are now able to connect online in ways they were never able to before. People can now “match” with all kinds of people from all places, it has broadened the dating world.

“My boyfriend and I met on a dating app,” said Brooklyn Wucher, a junior music education major. “We were able to talk on the phone all the time over the summer and learn so much about each other before ever meeting. Ian and I have been dating for eight months, and it has been the happiest I have been in a very long time.”

According to Forbes, nearly 70% of individuals who met someone on a dating app said it led to a romantic, exclusive relationship, while 28% said it did not. Also, about 20% of college students use dating apps. 

College also leads to a lot of long-distance dating because people are still with their high school partners or have met partners from other schools.

“College has absolutely affected my relationship,” Wucher said. “My boyfriend goes to Morehouse College in Atlanta, and there have been times where I had class early Monday morning, but I still wanted to see my partner, so I would wake up early Monday and drive back to school. “

Relationships can also affect academic success in college, whether it is good or bad. While some people go to their partners for solace and encouragement, others find it difficult to strike a balance between their romantic and academic obligations, which lowers focus and productivity.

“We have this mutual agreement that school comes first, and we come second,” Wucher said. “If there is a project or if I am working on homework, I don’t text him. I finish my work, and so after, I can focus on him, and he does the same.”

College is where students typically learn about love, heartbreak, friendships and themselves. All of this, plus the rise of technology, can make dating in college complicated.