The one-year COVID mark is coming up, and over that period of time student lives have been drastically changed. However, that hasn’t stopped students from maintaining their romantic lives.

With everything being shut down to prevent the spread of the virus, what can couples do? “It’s made dating extremely hard… it’s not as safe to walk around or go into restaurants as it was pre-COVID,” Victor Moreno, a senior, said. Keeping safe while also trying to stay close with your significant other is one of the many challenges of dating during the pandemic. 

Yet despite all the challenges students face, they continue to look for the little victories throughout this pandemic. “A benefit of dating during the pandemic is having more time to get to know each other, whether over the phone or in-person, people can be connected and share their love for different things together during the hard times,” Nathaly Castro, a senior, said. This may not be the same thing as seeing one another in person, but something is always better than nothing.

At times, a romantic relationship is what can give a person that push in the right direction. “In a way, I’m happier than I was a little before the pandemic. Being in a relationship has really helped with getting my stuff together since I pretty much want to be a better person for myself and my significant other,” Andrew Lopez, a junior, said. It’s easy to fall behind in life when there is almost no accountability in a virtual setting. Having that extra motivation to do one’s best is always a good thing. 

Being in a relationship during COVID is not all sunshine and rainbows, though. It comes with its own set of challenges that couples must overcome. “I think it’s difficult because not only would I have to make sure she’s doing okay emotionally and physically, I have to make sure I myself am doing okay,” Lopez said. It’s a lot of responsibility to make it all work, especially during a time where everything is so unprecedented. 

Not only does a student have to worry about themself, but also an entirely separate being with their own set of problems. 

Does all this extra challenge mean that one should not pursue a relationship until things get better? Castro said, “I would say that if it’s something you really want then go for it, 100%! You have to be very understanding of [their own] situation that is going on. There will be restrictions and spending quality time can be hard and can lead people to feel distant, but it doesn’t mean it’s down the drain. You might have to work harder than normal because the pandemic can cause a strain but it can be worth it.” 

Students should do whatever makes them happy and feel mentally well—if a relationship is an answer, then by all means pursue one. However, if a relationship is not in that future, then that’s just okay, too. The pandemic will pass and a sense of normality will return.