ALANA HUCKABAY

Being in a committed relationship is something most people want, but many students are hesitant due to an increased focus on career over building a family. This makes committing to one person in the traditional sense extremely difficult.

Focusing on a career means that students have busy schedules and it is hard to make time for yourself, let alone take care of another person’s needs. With so much focus on achieving your goals, having time for friends — let alone a significant other — can be incredibly challenging. The amount of time that both a busy schedule and a relationship can take means that committing to a more serious relationship isn’t always a realistic option.

For example, late night labs can take up a lot of time and leave you feeling exhausted and unable to do anything except crawl into bed and sleep. If you are working a part-time job during school, your nights and weekends are likely booked up. As weekends and evenings are when people usually go out on dates and socialize, work can really put a damper on your love life.

Added to this complex equation of work-life balance are resumé boosters such as student clubs and volunteer work. These are important to do for long-term advancement of your skill set, but these are commitments in themselves. However, these all eat up time that could be spent with friends and socializing. Even socializing in university is something that is rushed, as it often comes down to beer nights and short chats over coffee before hurrying off to do the next thing you are responsible for.

However, since we are all students united by busy schedules and commitments, we might just be able to find a way to make time for each other and make a connection that could last a lifetime. The important thing is taking the time to make space for each other.

When it comes down to it, that human connection is the only real thing that can make people truly happy, in university and in life. It can also be a great way to boost your mental health and bust stress.

It’s clear that balancing class schedules, work and extracurriculars can be challenging when you are managing your own life. That being said, if you can find someone who is also equally busy, but will support your goals as you support theirs, the relationship might actually work. Being career focused is important if you want to be a success in your own life, but your life may be incomplete if you have no one to share it with.

Committing to someone who is going through the same struggles as you may make a committed student relationship work, if both of you are willing to put in the time and effort necessary. In the end, if you become an extremely successful person, but are all alone with wealth and privilege, you might question your decision to skip the commitment wagon just because it’s not the most appealing option right now.

It’s true that committing to anything is really difficult as a modern student, but relationships are a key ingredient for life happiness no matter what you do. While balancing your busy schedule and working, take the time to talk to a fellow student. You might make a new friend, but more importantly, you might find your life partner. Take a chance, you never know what could happen.