1. You learn about loving with no preconceived notions.

When you fall in love in high school, there are ultimately so many outside factors that have an effect on how you view the other person. Let’s face it; when you’re a teenager you still really care what other people think of you. In college you’re more focused on being the person you WANT to be, so you don’t let other people dictate how you view yourself, the world, or others. That mindset allows you to love someone genuinely and freshly, rather than with an idea of who they already are formed in your brain.

2. You’re able to be kids and grown ups at the same time.

You meet and fall in love in the happy middle place of still being young, but also feeling like you kind of know what you’re doing with this whole “life thing”. You get to still view love and things idealistically and without bitterness, but with a certain sense of maturity. It’s a happy balance, and it makes for the strongest relationships.

3. You get to really support each other.

College is really stressful and can be really hard. When you’re put into a situation where you have to manage a lot all at once, it can be really challenging and difficult. Being in a relationship in college teaches you how to be supportive, caring, and less selfish than when you’re younger. And afterwards, you’ll already know

4. You get to explore the magic of new experiences together.

There’s nothing more romantic than getting to share new adventures with someone. You’re out of the house, starting to be on your own, and you get to share and create memories that will last forever. They say college is the best time of your life, and these new experiences with fresh eyes are definitely why.

5. You realize the importance of making someone a priority.

You have class, a job, studying, finals, and tons of stress put on you when you’re in school. When you add a relationship into the mix you really learn how to prioritize someone else and make them important in your life. Even if it’s just a coffee in the morning or an “kick ass on your test! :)” text, you learn how to make someone else important. And, in turn, it makes YOU a better partner.

6. It’s the perfect place of serious while still being fun.

Yes, you have all of these outside stresses that make you have to take life seriously, but you also get to have a lot of fun. There are parties, games, undie runs, and tons of things to do with someone you love that will make you laugh and lessen the pressure that college can sometimes put on your shoulders. Yes, you will have relationship challenges that mold and shape you into a supportive person. But you’ll also have things that will make you feel like a kid again and will always make you smile when you think back.

7. Your relationship mistakes are not nearly as catastrophic.

Reality is, you’re going to screw up. But when you make mistakes in college rather than in the “real world” the consequences aren’t nearly as detrimental. You’re able to fix them in a relatively easy way, and figure out how to move on without it completely altering your life.

8. You’re allowed to change and grow.

College is all about figuring out who you are, and you want to be. And in your college relationships, you get to do that together. It’s not a surprise when someone changes because you’re SUPPOSED to. It’s seen as beautiful, not as something to frown upon.

9. You get to share some of the absolute best memories.

It’s already been said but it’s still true: your college years are some of the absolute best years of your life. With a college love, you get to share those best years together and look back on them together. You won’t just be telling someone a story, you’ll be sharing and living the story WITH them.

10. You get to make your own rules.

You don’t have a career or parents or pressures from friends that dictate how to love someone. You can to create it yourself.

11. You can think about the future without making it feel like someone is compromising.

In high school it’s hard to think about the future in terms of including someone because you really don’t KNOW what the future holds. After college in the “real world”, you have to think about yourself and your needs more than someone else’s. In college, it’s like the Goldilocks of decision making. You can think about the future without feeling like you’re being too needy or putting too much pressure on someone, but still consider what’s best for them as well.

12. It’s the perfect place between young life and adult life.

You’re still young enough to stay up until the sun rises without it ruining your whole day, but old enough to shake off the little things. It’s a perfect hybrid of young, puppy love, and mature, real love that’s so, so strong.

13. You get that awesome sort of separate togetherness.

You don’t have to be attached at the hip and you don’t have to feel like you’re being too clingy. You recognize that your partner has their own life, and you have your own life. You figure out how to be together in the best, most harmonious way possible.

14. You don’t live in constant fear of drama.

When you’re young every little thing that’s less than perfect makes it feel like the world is going to collapse. As you get older and find out who you are, you don’t live in fear of the bad days. You’re able to see that they’re simply a part of life, and you know you’ll be able to work through them.

15. You love with a young heart, but with a mature mind.

You’re not quite a kid, not quite a grown up, so you love somewhere in the middle. But it’s a pure middle, and it makes for the best kind of love.