Taking the plunge with your significant other
I admit it. I am not a marriage counselor or a relationship expert, but I’ve learned a lot from my past relationships.
Now I may bore you with my history of my ex-girlfriends, but perhaps I can offer a little advice.
One thing I have learned is relationships are a lot like Alcoholics Anonymous: They are a step-by-step process.
One of the big steps in a relationship is deciding when to live together.
Some couples wait until marriage, while others take the step whenever they feel the time is right. But when exactly is the time right?
Living with a roommate is going to take some work no matter who it happens to be. There will always be things that need to be worked out.
Relationships are difficult enough all by themselves, and when you throw a living situation into the mix, things can get even harder.
I am currently living with my girlfriend and have been for a few months now.
Before we decided take the plunge, we were told by friends and family that it was “too early” and we “didn’t fully know each other yet.”
Don’t get me wrong, we had plenty of support from them too, but we knew the decision was up to us.
We knew we were ready for it because we respected each other and knew we were mature enough to handle it.
Yes, there has been, and will be, things that need to be compromised and discussed, but that goes for anyone with a roommate.
For example, couples must compromise things like how they spend their money, how they spend their free time, when they have friends over, or even who does the dishes.
Also, couples living together must give each other their space, respect their individuality and come to an agreement about household decisions.
Relationships consist of teamwork and each person needs to play their role.
I have seen many of my friends move in with their significant other, and unfortunately it didn’t work because they were unwilling to compromise and had a case of “my way or the highway” syndrome.
The best advice I can give is couples must be willing to compromise, respect each other, give each other space, work as a team and must be mature enough before they decide to take the big step.
It may also be a good idea to create some kind of a financial plan to know how their money will be spent.
Every couple has different beliefs about this topic and each one has to decide when the time is right for them.
So if you are currently living with your significant other and your living situation is not quite working out, you can either take my advice or invest in a really comfortable couch.
Andrew is a senior studying biological sciences.
Columnists' opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of The Spectrum