Other LDR couples going into first year of college? (+ a bit of our story)

[clarinethero214]

Hi everyone! I haven't posted much here, but I go here frequently when I'm having an off day to cheer me up. You all always help.
Now, I'm just wondering who else is going into their first year of college and in an LDR or has done so and has anything to share. My girlfriend and I are both going into college next year. I guess it'd be good to introduce our situation just for the fun of it, too
So, I met my girlfriend of a year and a half on a cruise ship right after Christmas time. I had no intention of being with anyone at the time, but things change :P We bonded a bit on the cruise and chatted more and more once we parted. A couple of weeks have it, the words "I love you" are spoken and the rest is the magic of a relationship. She lives in Maine. I live in New York. It's about an 8-9 hour drive, but we've been very fortunate in seeing one another this year in my opinion. We've definitely had our ups and downs though, as all couples do. We just got over one of our biggest downsides so far, and I'm hoping all stays alright. Regardless of that though, I'm moving to college in Boston, and she's moving to college in Portland, which is a much better 2 hour drive. Public transportation all the way! Anyway, I'm just looking for any info about what life was like for other LDR couples once they entered college. I'll say upfront that I'm a big studier. I was in high school though (like, the kind that studied nearly all day), so it won't be something new to our relationship. She's not really that way, but we're all different. I'm sure we'll both take time to adjust to our new settings and scenarios, but I think she's going to have some trouble adjusting to the workload of a college student. I'm not going anywhere though, so these are parts of life we'll experience together
Any stories, tips, or... anything at all? All discussion is pretty much welcome here.

[rhiannae]

Hi, I'm sort of the opposite to you. I met my SO and started dating on the last day of my first year at university so we'll have be apart for about half of the year when we're at home. This sucks as well cause having jobs I'm going into work as he finished so we have had upto 4 days with about 12 texts sent between us which was hard.

Skype (or a simular programme) I'd say is a must. It helps in so many ways as you can actually see your SO - a webcam is a good investment. Plus you can always study together/eat together via it as well if you're struggling for time during your day.

One thing that has become kind of special to us I'd say are our tumblr sites. I only got it because I was intrigued after seeing my SOs but we regularly post things that remind us of each other. For example during the 4 days we hardly got to speak he posted things like "Oh darling I wish you were here" and other soppy little pictures that mean a lot to us and to be honest that's what got me through.

Making a countdown either via a iphone or with paper on your wall also helps me through the long times and perhaps if you have photos of yourself or things that remind you of each other you could stick them on your wall/frame them?

We call them societies at my uni but there might be like a 'LDR' club or group on campus? So they might be worth checking out.

Only just woke up so I can't think of anymore at the moment, but I'll pop back if I do.
Good luck!

[13000km]

Isn't Portland on the opposite side of the country from Boston? /:

This is going to be my first year of school, but as a international transfer student at the same university he just transferred in to, so our situation is slightly different. But I was working full time for over a year, so I'm not sure what it's going to be like going back to school. I'm not much of a study-er.

He, on the other hand, is super hard working, and was doing gen ed classes in a community college before this. He's a lot more motivated than me. We don't live together, so we'll see how things work out when school starts.

We were both students when we first started dating though, and a little tip I have for you and your SO is to prioritize and divide your time between schoolwork, work, friends and each other reasonably. Don't let any of those things dominate your life and soon you'll find a good balance and rhythm to fall into. (:

[beckychan]

I'm going into my 4th year in college, while my SO is going into his senior year in high school. For me, my college schedule is actually fairly easier than his high school schedule. I'm only taking 4 classes (12 credits worth), so my actual class schedule is very short, especially since I get fridays off. As far as studying goes, mine is all studio time because I go to art school and tests/papers are far and few apart so most of my time is dedicated to working on pieces of art. I'm fortunate enough to be able to talk on the phone and focus on my projects on the same time. But, he actually has to study and one thing that we like to do is work on our homework together. You can get on skype, or just call, and spend the next hour or two working on stuff at the same time.

One thing we also decided for this year is to follow the same sleep schedule. We plan on falling asleep at the same time, and waking up at the same time because we like talking on the phone at night AND in the morning. He has to get up extra early this year, while my classes don't start until noon, and since we both are into fitness I plan on working out during that extra time in the morning while he's at school - and he usually has soccer practice while I have class until 6. So it kind of works itself out.

Just keep in mind that since the two of you are at separate colleges, and it's both your first years, there might be a whole lot of new things coming into your life that you're both going to have to work around!

I just have to say I LOVE studying and doing homework with my SO. It's one of my favorite activities we do together.

[Mara]

Isn't Portland on the opposite side of the country from Boston? /:

Pretty sure the poster means Portland, Maine instead of Portland, Oregon though I know when everyone hears Portland that's what they think of!

My SO is in grad school and I'm still working on my undergrad. It's definitely different than when I was working full time and he was in school. Now we both have to work around our class schedules and study times which are usually unfortunately conflicting. The thing that I cannot stress enough is to just be patient with each other. Sometimes it's hard having the opportunity to visit, but not because one of you has to study or has a big exam coming up.

I definitely think it will be an adjustment for the two of you, but things should be easier since you will be much, much closer. Once you both get into the swing of things, I think everything will be just fine.