Interview by Robyn Newcomb ’20, a
Features Editor for the Voice (Photo
Struggling with maintaining or balancing a relationship in college? Piloting a new group session program this semester, The Wellness Peer Educators are hosting sessions on dating and relationships in college titled “Swipe Smart. Swipe Right: Dating and Relationships at Wooster.”
“The peer educators are really excited to lead next week’s sessions on relationships and dating at the College. The following topics will be discussed in each session: dating culture on the Wooster campus, tips for college relationships, the five love languages, characteristics of healthy relationships, characteristics of unhealthy relationships, consent and dealing with the aftermath of a hookup,” said Rachel David, health education coordinator at the Longbrake Student Wellness Center.
“Since each of these topics could have their own individual sessions, the peer educators will focus on providing introductory information on each one, with plans to dive deeper into each area in future sessions. There will be periods of discussion, reflection and instruction,” said David.
While many admire Wooster for its tight knit culture and small community, these characteristics become problematic when seeking new relationships. To combat these struggles, peer educators presented many tips for students to maintain healthy relationships.
The first tip included preventing your relationships from consuming your college time; taking advantage of activities and what Wooster has to offer. Relationships shouldn’t completely engross those involved and should allow its participants to be productive and not disconnect from the world.
The second tip is to keep in mind personal happiness levels. If you are unhappy, don’t waste your time. Relationships won’t be happy 100 percent of the time, so refrain from establishing individual happiness based on the influence of others.
The final tip in the session was self-love. Understanding the importance of self-love and being at peace with yourself will diminish underlying problems from getting in the way of a successful relationship.
Despite the fact that relationships are supposed to be enhancers and are most importantly enjoyable, not letting relationships dominate your college life is crucial. In order to have a successful relationship, the peer educators emphasized that understanding positive characteristics is crucial. These attributes of healthy relationships include: communication, balance, honesty and trust. With these in mind, relationships are able to succeed.
This week’s session incorporated the significance of not feeling pressured to date, prioritizing self-happiness, recognizing what you want from a relationship and learning how to communicate those emotions.
Since student well-being is a priority at Wooster, there are many resources available if necessary. It is important to be aware of signs of an unhealthy relationship and to know when help is needed. The signs of an unhealthy relationship include but are not limited to: an inability to establish and appreciate relationships with other people, manipulation, lack of communication and a lack of honesty or trust.