The transition from high school life to college life is imminent for the Class of 2013. Most of the members of this year’s graduating class will attend a college or university after they receive their diploma. This will be a big change, a whole new world for us. As I complete my final days at Trinity, I have many questions about life next year. Most of them revolve around the people I know now and how life will be different next year without some of them. What will happen with seniors’ significant others is also a key concern. In my case, I worried what would happen to the relationship I have with my girlfriend after graduation. We are attending universities that are about one and a half hours apart. This raises questions. What will happen to our relationship? Can we stay together? Could a long-distance relationship survive in a college environment? My questions took me to the most obvious choice for answers about college: the college counselors. I sat down with Mr. Jeremy Jackson to ask away. He said it is his practice not to recommend that a student keep or end a relationship before college; he will only advise them on the advantages and disadvantages of having or not having a relationship in college. Jackson believes it is possible to have a long-distance relationship in college, provided that a couple has trust and commitment. He said, “If there is an effort for a committed and trust-driven relationship between both partners, then it can work.” His responses answered a few of my questions, but I wanted another opinion, one closer to my perspective. I wanted to know how other families are fairing in this kind of struggle. I started in the parking lot at school, with an interested parent of a friend that knew I was on the ECHO staff. I had just come from Jackson and was explaining my latest ECHO work. This parent was intrigued by my topic and requested to be a contributor to this story. He also requested that his name be omitted in case his son decided to click on this link. I’ll call this parent Alex. Alex has a son with a girlfriend he has been seeing for more than a year. To Alex’s knowledge, his son is very happy. Alex has an overall negative opinion about high school to college relationships, regardless of the distance and separation between the partners. Alex said, “It will be easier to meet people if the second thing out of your mouth isn’t always ‘and I have a girlfriend.’” Alex sees this as a major turnoff for possible female friends. Despite his opinion, Alex still views the matter as his son’s decision. I decided then that it would be good to question some peers. First I located Trevor A. Mason, a football-playing artist, who has been dating his girlfriend for 15 months. They plan to remain a couple after graduation. Though they will attend school locally, Mason is worried about not being as close to his girlfriend, believing that the separation can cause strain on a relationship. Mason is also worried about the impact all the new people will make on him. I also spoke with rugby player and friend Trevor Fultz. His relationship has continued strongly for the past eight months, and he has no plans to end the relationship before college. He will attend Eastern Kentucky University in the fall, while his girlfriend will attend DePaul University in Chicago. The nearly five-hour drive doesn’t faze him. He has no worries about the relationship. He said, “I feel that if we work at it, then it will work with us.” As he thought about his answer more, he added, “If we break up, then it wasn’t meant to be. If it works, that’s great for us.” Fultz chuckles about the future: “Nobody always gets exactly what they want, so I don’t spend time worrying. I’m going to enjoy it.”