Forming relationships in varsity

Your undergraduate years are labeled as “the best of your life” for many reasons. You meet some of your closest friends, you try juggling your school work with your social life and you build new relationships.

Dating at university appears to be a war zone we work through. During my second year at varsity I met this guy who was doing his honours degree, we started dating for a while and he  evidently  finished his studies before me. Our relationship was great because he understood that we both had to manage our time effectively in order for me to balance our relationship with my studies. If your partner is not studying, make sure he/she understands your school schedule and supports your studies, you need to find a partner who recognizes the temporary nature of your schooling, who sees the potential in you that your education is helping you realize, and is willing to be flexible and supportive, even if you’re pulling an all-nighter on a Friday.In the end, it’s about the two of you coming together and agreeing to make the relationship work despite the sacrifices you both have to make. Make use of the UJ health clinic, it offers Reproductive Health Care (Family Planning) and HIV/Aids Counseling and Testing (VCT). If you’re sexually active, remember to practice safe sex at all times.

Another exciting part of your undergraduate is meeting some of your closest friends. I’m sure you've heard the saying; a rotten apple can spoil the whole bag. Let’s say you happen to have a basket of delicious ripe apples and there’s one spoiled apple amongst the bunch, you can rest assured within days all the apples in the basket will start rotting.  Friendship takes on the same approach, bad company can ruin good character; choose your friends accordingly because they will affect what you become. With that being said, have fun and build meaningful relationships.