College makes up a relatively short period of our lives. Unless you choose to remain at DU for grad school, or receive a job in Denver, chances are you’ll be leaving here soon. This, of course, is something we all knew we’d eventually face yet it suddenly seems a bit more real when it is time for you to graduate.
As seniors will soon leave DU and head out into the world, what happens to all the relationships we established during our time here? More specifically what happens to our romantic relationships after graduation?
The role of college is to prepare us for the real world. After graduation we will all go our separate ways, which more often than not will conflict with the plans of those who are in our lives now. It is strange to think that those we see every day will slowly become strangers unless we choose to remain nearby or in constant contact.
Where does one go from there? At this crucial crux of our life, do we choose to remain geographically close to those we love, or do we choose the success of our career? For some this choice may be easy while for others, like myself, it will be one of the most difficult decisions we will ever have to make. How do those we love, particularly those romantic relationships we have developed over the years, weigh in comparison to our desire for success and fulfillment within our careers?
We are taught that a career is important, we are told to reach for the best and work to the top, yet we are also shown the importance of people. Like in most situations, this is a high-risk gamble. What if you put your career on hold to keep a relationship that ends soon after? Or, on the other hand, what if you lose your relationship for a job and never find someone like that again? It is a dangerous line to walk; where one choice can determine the success of your relationship or the success of yourself as an individual.
The choices we make after graduation will dictate our values in accordance to our personal and working life, or our work-life balance. Those values we establish will be carried with us throughout our lives. Some will climb to the top with nothing to weigh them down, while others may choose less lucrative jobs that allow them to remain close to those they love.
I don’t think in a situation like this there is a definite answer; it is much too personal of a choice. In the end it comes down to individual and social success and what you personally value more. Although I believe both qualities can be found eventually, one will always hold more importance in our minds. This lifestyle choice starts now for some. It is a time when our initial career plans and those we love will have to battle for prevalence in our lives.
