The holiday season can be overwhelming enough, but for those who have met their significant others here at USC, an extra layer of stress may be coming their way as they gear up for a month-long period of separation from their partner.
How to make sure they make it out on the other side? We spoke with one half of some USC couples to hear about their strategies.
Communication is key: Being apart for a long period of time can be lonely, and can sometimes create tension.
Graduate student Derek Hunter and his girlfriend of two years live together in L.A. during the school year. But this winter, he will return to the San Francisco Bay Area, while she will be flying across the globe to spend time with her family in Italy.
He said it’s essential to set aside time to talk on the phone to keep each other updated, and address any hard feelings that may have developed.
“Try to be a lot more open about if you’re feeling, say, unsettled from a certain situation and you feel like you guys aren’t aligned on a certain situation,” Hunter said. “I think that it’s just better to air it out versus hiding it and waiting for it to resolve itself.”
We also heard how important it is to set boundaries before you take off for the break. Although it’s necessary to communicate while apart, it is also helpful to give your partner space to enjoy the holidays.
Joseph Monterrosa, a junior, said that he likes to keep his girlfriend updated, but not necessarily 24/7.
“I mean, we tend to be transparent with each other and communicate for the most part, but usually that’s after like, little bit of space between each other”, Monterrosa said. “So we’ll take some time, like maybe a couple hours or a couple days, and it’s just like, that’s when we come together, kind of get our thoughts and whatnot.”
Finally, most students just want to feel supported over the holiday season. Between end-of-semester exam stress, holiday travel anxiety and seeing family for the first time in a while, your partner might just feel overwhelmed.
Freshman Liv Byerley knows that she most likely will feel this way, but is glad she won’t be doing alone.
“I’ll probably be more stressed, but it’ll be fine, because we’ll both be going through it,” she said.
Long distance in relationships can be tough, even for just a few weeks. After months of seeing your partner nearly every day while at school, the long winter break can be jarring. But with these tips and a little bit of patience, the new semester should be here before you know it.