Everything you should know before living with your significant other

Living with the person you love can be fun in the sense that you’re with the person that makes you the happiest 24/7. But just like all things that make us happy,  shit can get complicated. Many people think that once you live with your girl/boyfriend, it will cost you your relationship. Which isn’t necessarily true. Of course, it can raise some sparks that lead to stress, chaos and other problems, but if you play it out right it could be good for the both of you. It’s a step that requires patience and trust. There’s no way to be sure that you’re ready. All I know is that you have to be prepared to share every aspect of your life with someone.

A few things I’ve learned from living with my boyfriend in college: 

Say goodbye to alone time

There’s no more privacy.  You can say goodbye to wine nights with your girlfriends as well. All the days you spent looking forward to crawling into bed after being at work or school all day, aren’t the same. It’s always nice to have somebody there to comfort you 24/7 and tell you how pretty you are. But let’s be real, we all have days where we just want to be alone and isolate ourselves from any distractions.

Your arguments don’t last very long

Since I started living with my boyfriend, I don’t know if i’d even consider our disputes actual problems. Our arguments consist of what movies to watch, dinner plans and whose turn it is to walk the dog. But like all relationships, there are much bigger issues. When we do argue, it could end badly and loud enough to wake up the neighbors. In the heat of the moment, you’re stuck with no where to go. Which in some ways could be good, because your fights won’t end up lasting very long.

You come in a package deal

The two of you are now a package deal. All your plans will involve both of you. You get so used to being around each other, that the thought of doing something without them rarely crosses your mind. Besides work and school, you do everything together. You become workout buddies and shower buddies… with the exception of laundry day, which feels like every day. If one of you can’t sleep, brace yourself for sleepless nights.

It’s easier to recognize each other’s flaws

If you’re not comfortable with yourself in the relationship this can drive you crazy. In the beginning of a relationship, women always want to maintain the best possible version of themselves. We always want to look and feel our best. But when you spend every waking moment with someone you’ll see sides to them you’d probably wish you hadn’t. Even though you think you know everything about a person, you learn something new everyday. 

Keep your home tidy

This is so important. If both of you are messy and unorganized, moving in together is probably not the best idea. When something goes missing you’ll be quick to blame your boyfriend, before taking any responsibility. Your apartment will probably start looking different and smelling different. Since we started living together my room has probably been re-arranged about four times. Thankfully my boyfriend is a neat freak so the apartment is always A1.

Say goodbye to your favorite shows

This is probably one of the biggest struggles for me. It doesn’t seem as bad as it sounds, but trust me, it’s a hassle. I went from watching my favorite shows to watching my boyfriend play GTA, and movies that put me straight to sleep. I’ve parted ways with Scandal and Gossip Girl. 

You’ll see every part of each other

You’ll see the good and bad parts of each other. When you spend so much time with someone, you grow a stronger bond than before. It definitely matures both of you, because for once you aren’t the only priority in your life. I’ve seen every shade there is and it’s made dealing with each other easier. Our relationship has its ups and downs, but essentially we’re stronger and more understanding.