Summer is over, you’ve started college and maybe your significant other is a couple hundred miles away. But even if a long-distance relationship sounded great at the time, some ISU students are having different thoughts with three weeks of college life under their belts.

Some students realize in the beginning weeks of school that a long-distance relationship is not part of the “ideal” college social life that includes partying or meeting new people. But while it appears the majority of students are not looking for a long-distance commitment, some are willing to give it a try.

Marty Martinez, staff psychologist at the Student Counseling Center, said the majority of students embarking on long-distance relationships are freshmen or seniors.

“Freshmen are leaving partners who are going to a different college or who are still in high school,” Martinez said. “But seniors are often dating much more seriously, and their partners are going off to work or are in graduate school.”

Josh Gorder, freshman in mechanical engineering, is currently in a long-distance relationship.

“I don’t think I see any problems [with] being far away,” Gorder said. Megan Lecander, freshman in pre-business, also believes the 200 miles between Ames and her significant other will not present a problem.

“I think it will be easier, you just have to remember to call them a couple times a day,” Lecander said.

While it may appear that long-distance relationships are easy to maintain, is it smart to stay attached to a person who is not physically there? Caitlin Mabe, sophomore in liberal arts and sciences-open option, recently ended a long-distance relationship. She said it was stressful being away from the person she cared about.

“There’s a lack of security and comfort – that’s the big thing – and then you’re tempted to find it elsewhere,” Mabe said.

Martinez agrees that if a relationship does not have a secure base, an individual may begin to feel stressed if he or she cannot be with the person to “touch or feel his or her presence and support.”

Cheating is another problem that often occurs in long-distance relationships.

While several students agreed they would never cheat on their partners, a few believed differently.

“I don’t advocate cheating,” Mabe said, “but I don’t think it’s the end of the world at this point in our lives.”

Martinez said a long-distance relationship isn’t a stressful partnership that should be avoided.

“They offer the ability to concentrate on school and become more scheduled,” Martinez said, while partners find time to fit the relationship into their lives.

Also, a long-distance relationship allows individuals to build patience, trust and organization of time and emotion into their lives and relationships; it may even relieve some stress because it opens up time for friends and studying.

While long-distance relationships are a challenge, Martinez believes there is hope for them.

“They aren’t as bad as students perceive them to be. If a [long-distance relationship] is done well, it can actually be healthy.”