As the weather grows cold, nothing sounds more appealing than watching a
marathon of classic movies in front of a crackling fire. The only thing that could make this night at home any better would be someone to share it with, right?

One by one, students on the City College campus have begun pairing off. The blooming relationships become the focal points of their lives, and two weeks in, someone throws out the “L” word: Love. Then it’s serious.

Once that tiny, monosyllabic word makes its début, the rules have changed. The weeksold pair is suddenly inseparable. If one does manage to wander away from the other, even for the briefest of moments, that solitary student does nothing but check text messages and think longingly of his or her other half.

This behavior might lead some to regard this relationship with all seriousness, but what we so easily forget is that every new relationship takes precedence over all previous flings. The sad truth is that youth is fickle and unsettled. As beautiful as young love can be, there is a greater probability that the shine will wear off. Things change, and so do people. A break up isn’t always in the cards, but at a time when we strive to assert our individual identities, it is hard to balance another person’s needs with our own.

“Speaking from experience, you’re just starting out in life. You barely know yourself and you bring a second person into this who is just as ‘lost’ as you are,”
said City College Robin Hulver. “It’s like the blind leading the blind.”

Even so, the idea of love is so overwhelming and romantic that getting caught up the ardor is almost inevitable.

Communications and environmental science major Matthew Blackburn offers words of caution.

“I think you should go into it with an open mind,” Blackburn said. “Think about the boundaries and respect you have for yourself and then think about what you expect from the other person. As a student, you definitely need to remember what your priorities are in terms of your education. Stay true to your goals and make sure that the other person respects those goals.”

Though being a part of a relationship and feeling loved are two of the most important things in a young person’s life, college students must also balance other priorities. As the semester ends and the holiday season draws nearer, even dedicated students find themselves resisting the urge to skip class and check their e-mails compulsively instead of studying. That holiday break is so close now that anticipation wears on discipline, and if you add a budding relationship into the mix, it is nearly impossible to remain focused.

“Success of the relationship depends on the people,.” said City College English major Kay Barnes. “It can work on if they have a job and a desire to go on with their education, if they’re really in love and not in lust.”