'Friend' for status?

Moving around in a close circle of friends, keeping up with current trends and hanging out after college are important facets of a young person’s life. But when it comes to having a boyfriend or girlfriend in college, one gets mixed reactions from youngsters.
Some say it’s only a prestige issue, while others say it’s a personal choice. But is it important to have a boyfriend or girlfriend in college? “Why not?” they ask.

Shravan, Student

“With the burden of studies all the time, people often experience loneliness. And since there is very little time to socialise, one will feel like having a significant other to spend time with and share his/her views and thoughts. Probably in a way, it is important to have a boyfriend or girlfriend but again, it may just prove to be yet another
distraction. Before jumping into a relationship, one has to know how to handle it.”

Preetha, Student

“If one gets into a relationship only for the prestige issue, it shows how insecure that person is and things just won’t work out. A lot of people get into relationships due to peer pressure, but I personally feel that as long as there are good and true friends around you, one doesn’t need any boyfriends.”

Shruthi, Student

“I don’t think it is necessary to have that one special person in college. We are all too young to get into anything serious. A lot depends on what kind of crowd one hangs out with. As long as you have a good set of friends, it’s perfectly alright being single.” 

Nalini, Student

“I have nothing against the whole ‘boyfriend’ issue but personally, I don’t feel it is very important to have a boyfriend. A close circle of friends is more than enough for a social life in college. But again, it is a personal choice and depends solely on the individual.”

Christopher, Student

“There is nothing wrong in having a special friend in college. Yes, often one does see people doing it for the sake of prestige, but then again, there are also those who are genuinely in love and want to be together. It all depends on the person, but ultimately youngsters have to have a control over their lives and see if they can handle a relationship.”