After crossing the stage at graduation, high school graduates must say farewell to family, childhood friends and the only home they’ve ever known. Among these goodbyes, some incoming freshmen weigh whether to remain steady with their high school sweetheart or hold out for future flames on the Plains.
An estimated 75% of young adults have been in a long-distance relationship at some point in college, which only complicates the decision for students.
Chloe Dykes, sophomore in wildlife sciences, started dating her then-best-friend Maddox Dixon over three years ago. When Dixon enrolled at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the pair were separated by 200 miles for a year before he transferred to Auburn University.
“I don't think it holds you back. I think that you can still experience all of the same things [...] in a different way and in a way that was security for me,” Dykes said, when asked if relationships hold people back in college.
Dykes and Dixon now live together, and despite its difficulties, Dykes said long distance was “worth it.”
“If you can see a future with this person, and you think that that future is something that you want, then I don't see a reason why not to give it a try,” Dykes said.
Leah Johnson, junior in applied biotechnology, is a “huge” advocate for high school sweethearts, because her parents met in high school. Johnson and her boyfriend, Jackson Boyd, made it official shortly after a high school winter formal four years ago, and they both attend Auburn.
Although the couple is now long distance due to Boyd’s co-op work, Johnson was not initially interested in long distance, and “it just happened to work out” that they both chose Auburn.
As students whose relationships have been face-to-face and long distance, both Johnson and Dykes emphasized the importance of communication and remaining true to oneself in a relationship.
“Truly know who you are before you get in that relationship with that person,” Johnson said. “If you feel like all of your best qualities are coming out, [...] then you know that that's the person for you.”
Suzanne Clark, a licensed professional counselor for AU Counseling Services, said high school sweethearts may have an expectation of normalcy for their relationship. However, Clark advised students to expect — and embrace — changes in relationships and growth in one’s autonomy, even if it includes breaking up.
“You're coming to college for an education, but that education is also an education in who you are as a person, and it's very different than what it is in high school,” Clark said. “Building your own autonomy is what's so important when you come to college.”
Although there may be no right answer for whether freshmen should end their high school relationships, students can keep their independence at the forefront to remain centered on the journey to self-discovery.
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Jennifer Santiago, junior in political science and history, has been with The Auburn Plainsman since Fall 2024. Santiago previously served as a News Writer, Lifestyle Editor and Newsletter Editor. She is currently serving as the Content Editor.
