With the arrival of February and Valentine’s Day, University Counseling Services and Nicholls couples offer advice for students who are juggling relationships during college. College life can be busy, but there are lots of ways that couples can make time for each other.

“Just enjoy spending time together,” Jizette Heims, counselor for University Counseling Services, said. “Plan dates in advance, and try to plan a special trip or event once a week or once a month. Remember that you don’t have to have lots of money to have a relationship.”

Adam Foret, vocal music education sophomore from Raceland, and Ashley Comeaux, fine arts junior from Lockport, have been dating for four years and have been engaged for one month.

“All you have to do is stay committed. We’re always there for each other when we need to be,” Foret said. “College can be just as hectic as anything, especially when you’re trying to establish a career. You just make things work.”

“You can work it out,” Comeaux said. “We both work at the same place, and we go to school together, but we try to see each other outside of school and work every once in a while.”

Michelle Blanchard, history senior from Prairieville, and Trevor LeBlanc, music education junior from Houma, have been dating for five months.

“We try to eat one or two meals together during the week. It’s all about making time for the other person. When we do have time to spend together, it’s more special for us because we don’t get to see each other all the time,” Blanchard said.

Elizabeth Pitko, history junior from Hungary, and Joseph Saborio, history sophomore from Nicaragua, have been dating for two years.

“We wake up early in the morning and have coffee together,” Pitko said.

Communication can be a problem in any relationship, but busy class and work schedules can add to the problem in relationships between college students.

“Be very open about your expectations for the relationship right from the start,” Heims said. “Discuss what you expect from your significant other and be realistic with those expectations.”

“We’re working on communication. I don’t think any couple has perfect communication, but you learn to understand each other better. Couples should listen to each other, and try to really open up to one another,” Leblanc said.

Tyler Brunet, English junior from Houma, and Lea Cornelius, mass communication junior from Paris, France, have been dating for two years.

“If you are committed to somebody then what you do affects them,” Brunet said.

For some couples, living together can be a challenge, but Brunet and Cornelius have settled happily into a place of their own.

“We’ve been living together for three semesters. It’s great,” Cornelius said.

“Proximity is a wonderful thing. Our personalities are a lot alike. We don’t need a lot of personal space,” said Brunet. “You can’t expect everything to stay the same. You’ve got to give some things up, but you gain a lot too.”

While cultural differences can cause tension in some relationships, it can be an asset in others. Despite being raised on separate continents, Pitko and Saborio have found that their cultures have many similarities, which have strengthened their relationship.

“We were raised the same way, and our families expect the same things from us,” Saborio said.