February 22, 2016, by Emily Howard

Top tips: the Long Distance Relationship

Valentine’s Day may have left you a little loved-up, or alternatively, love-lonely (if you subscribe to such capitalist commercialism, that is.)  In the will-they-won’t-they stage with someone, but their location puts you off? Or already with your S.O. but struggling with not seeing them? My mum advised against committing to a long distance relationship (“You only get to be a student once, you should live in the moment!”) – but thank goodness I ignored those words! As an LDR trooper, here are some top tips for dismissing the distance and keeping the love…

1. Skype is the best thing EVER

125252891_e22f8e0406_o

Seriously. Phone calls, video calls, video messages, Skype dates… do it all, as often as possible. A consta   nt Whatsapp conversation helps, too.

2. The Final Countdown

maxresdefault

Know when you’re seeing each other next. “I miss you so much, but I’m excited to see you in two weeks” is way better than “I miss you so much, and I don’t know when I’m ever going to see you again”. Plan ahead and count down the days.

3. Make friends with their friends

11103892_f57d05a21e_o

…and vice versa. If your friends know them and chat about them, your relationship won’t seem like a different world from your uni life.

4. Keep it physical

464484822_1f6b11c5df_o

Perhaps not what you were thinking, but… Send them stuff! Cards, letters, chocolates, flowers, your favourite PJ top. Keeping things “real”, not only via a screen, reminds you of how good you are together in person.

Some final sage advice (okay, cheesy cliches…): if it doesn’t work, it’s not meant to be; but if it’s meant to be, you’ll make it work!

Posted in Emily