Doctoral psychology intern for the Counseling and Psychology Services Aisha Armstrong hosted a workshop, “Dating 101,” on Wednesday to discuss tips for maintaining healthy relationships. | Izmail Glosson/The Daily Cougar
For some students, dating can be an awkward yet strategic start to either a beautiful relationship or a disaster.
Counseling and Psychology Services conducted a workshop Wednesday called “Food For Thought: Dating 101,” which provided tips for those looking to be in a relationship, help for those in a relationship and advice about balancing college and extracurricular activities while in a relationship.
The workshop was broken into three sections — before getting into a relationship, maintaining a healthy relationship and dating while in college.
“When you consider dating or looking for a partner, I wanted to give things to consider,” said CAPS doctoral psychology intern Aisha Armstrong. “Another thing is once you start dating and get into a relationship, what does a healthy relationship look like? What are some difficulties with dating while in college? We held this discussion to offer some suggestions.”
Armstrong mentioned that before starting a relationship, the first step is to be secure with yourself.
“If you spend time with yourself, then chances are someone would want to spend time with you,” Armstrong said. “I suggest that you know what you are looking for in a relationship and take the time to get to know your partner and their past by asking the necessary questions in the beginning.”
The group discussed giving the relationship time to see if the impression the other person gives in the beginning of the relationship sticks.
“We are all too familiar with the term ‘the honeymoon phase,’ where the first few months of the relationship are usually perfect, and there isn’t a lot of conflict,” Armstrong said. “Give it time to see if this person is still this person three months down the line or if they become a different person that you might not like so much.”
When maintaining a healthy relationship, trust and honesty are key, and communication is always effective, according to Armstrong.
“When in a relationship in college, it often feels like you are in a balancing act between many things in your life,” Armstrong said. “It is important to include ‘me time’ when in college when trying to balance a relationship with other activities.”
