College is a unique time in life for dating. Relationships range from married couples to people who aren’t dating at all. Some people find their life partner in those four years, others date multiple people during that time. Some date for fun, others date for a purpose. Here, you can explore the different types of dating styles of Ball State students and compare their similarities and differences. Which dating type are you?
Cancelled engagement: Kayzie Priebe
Senior, English major
Q: Describe the relationship you had.
A: I dated someone for three years. We dated until mid-way through this summer and we were actually engaged. I got really sick and was in the hospital. I just kind of realized a lot while I was there and didn’t really see him fitting into my life plan, and I broke off the engagement.
Q: What sets being engaged apart from other dating styles in college?
A: I really don’t know, because I have had three really long relationships and that’s all I’ve really had. They’ve all felt kind of the same as an engagement. It really didn’t feel more of a commitment to me or anything like that because I’m always committed to who I’m with.
Q: What are the pros and cons of being engaged in college?
A:
Pro: It’s really rare to find that person in college and I was really lucky. I was really glad I dated him, and it was definitely an experience that I’m glad I had.
Con: My original plan was to do what he wanted and go where he wanted, and then I got a job offer that wasn’t where he wanted. I kind of knew that he didn’t want me to take the job, but I really wanted to. It’s just making that real life work, because once you leave school, you’re not here together. You have to make it work.
Committed relationship: Daniela Sorrell
Senior, Spanish and French majors
Q: Describe the relationship you have.
A: I started dating my boyfriend Jacob sophomore year, so September of 2012. People say, “Have good trust, have good communication,” but I feel like we actually live that out. There’s no one I could depend on more than my boyfriend.
Q: What sets a committed relationship apart from other dating styles in college?
A: It’s not just dating for fun. It’s kind of like dating with more of a purpose.
Q: What are the pros and cons?
A:
Pro: You get to know somebody extremely well, and you have just a very close friend.
Con: It’s really tempting to just make that person your one go-to person, and you have to work to not forget about other people.
“Mini-marriage”: Alexis Glidden
Senior, marketing major, Spanish minor
Q: Describe the relationship you have.
A: We spend a lot of time together and talk on a daily basis if we don’t get to see each other, because he actually lives in Noblesville and I’m still in school. We don’t see each other every day, but we try to spend time together as much as possible.
Q: What sets a “mini-marriage” apart from other dating styles in college?
A: I think it’s obviously definitely more serious. I guess I would say my life with Nick is pretty intertwined, where we just do a lot of things together and a lot of things depend on the other person.
Q: What are the pros and cons?
A:
Pro: Nick understands me really well and not a lot of people do. For me, there’s always that one person who is going to understand how I’m thinking about something or why I feel a certain way.
Con: A con of being in a relationship is that he is so far away, and I’m constantly back and forth between Muncie and Noblesville.
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