2008 Woodie Awards
The college dating dilemma
Is the effort to sustain a healthy relationship in college a manageable feat or a restraining burden?
Jomaire Crawford, Staff Writer
Issue date: 1/30/08Section: Features
On your mark, get set, go! As last week marked the onset of the spring semester, thousands of St. John's undergraduate students zealously await their own shot at love. And although I'm not referencing Tila Tequila, this pursuit by college students is just as serious.
Deciding whether or not to commit during college is arguably one of the most demanding decisions that college students are forced to make. For you freshmen this commitment could ostensibly control the next four years of your life-from whether you decide to join student organizations or choose to spend all your free time with your significant other, to whether you dedicate considerable time towards your studies or cut corners just to hang out. And upperclassmen contemplating commitment must at minimum assess their partner's career plans and juxtapose each other's goals of personal development.
Some students search out commitment only to neglect the paramount reason that they are in college, whether it be academics or athletics-based. On the contrary, other students operate a one-track mind geared solely around academics, athletics, work, or extracurricular activities and never even contemplate entering into a relationship.
But is it worth it? College students undoubtedly have mixed feelings about this matter. On one side are those who feel college provides the most opportune time for self-discovery and academic advancement. Sophomore Hadia Sheerazi noted, "I have four years here at St. John's. I want to spend these four years discovering who I am, meeting new people, engaging in activities that interest me. Discovering who I am now will help me determine who I want to be with in the future."
However, a campus Resident Assistant particularly asserts that many underclassmen females spend considerable time pursuing and trying to maintain relationships. She suggests that this phenomenon could result from increasing societal pressures forcing women to commit at a younger age.
Deciding whether or not to commit during college is arguably one of the most demanding decisions that college students are forced to make. For you freshmen this commitment could ostensibly control the next four years of your life-from whether you decide to join student organizations or choose to spend all your free time with your significant other, to whether you dedicate considerable time towards your studies or cut corners just to hang out. And upperclassmen contemplating commitment must at minimum assess their partner's career plans and juxtapose each other's goals of personal development.
Some students search out commitment only to neglect the paramount reason that they are in college, whether it be academics or athletics-based. On the contrary, other students operate a one-track mind geared solely around academics, athletics, work, or extracurricular activities and never even contemplate entering into a relationship.
But is it worth it? College students undoubtedly have mixed feelings about this matter. On one side are those who feel college provides the most opportune time for self-discovery and academic advancement. Sophomore Hadia Sheerazi noted, "I have four years here at St. John's. I want to spend these four years discovering who I am, meeting new people, engaging in activities that interest me. Discovering who I am now will help me determine who I want to be with in the future."
However, a campus Resident Assistant particularly asserts that many underclassmen females spend considerable time pursuing and trying to maintain relationships. She suggests that this phenomenon could result from increasing societal pressures forcing women to commit at a younger age.
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