Let’s face it … sometimes life sucks. Like everyone else, I have dealt with the out-of-control ex-boyfriends, girl drama and near death incidents with narcoleptic Joe. From them I have learned the greatest lesson of all — don’t set your expectations too high, especially when it comes to relationships.

Want to know why people get their hearts ripped out when a relationship ends? Because you can’t expect to marry a girl who you’ve dated for a month and have a Facebook relationship with. You’ve set your expectations too high.

You can’t mope around for weeks on end and refuse to make any contact with members of the opposite sex because “the one” got away. You’re only 20 and have plenty of time to worry about finding your soul mate.

I hit junior year and suddenly marriage is at the forefront of many conversations. Quite frankly it blows my mind. I worry about making it down to the West Gym for my 8:30 and about where I’ll party when the weekend comes. I can’t be bothered with thoughts of opening up a joint banking account, moving in with a guy and adopting a bunny together.

The marriage bug has not spared me. Upon meeting my boyfriend and hearing that he had three job offers, my boss told me to snatch him up while I could since all men are atrocious and I’ll only meet one good one … EVER. My mother has also advised me to keep him on the list of “potentials.”

We can’t base the success of our relationships on whether or not the outcome of it will be a house with a white picket fence in the suburbs. Maybe our parents did that, but it is a foolish idea. Take relationships for what they are, things that make us happy, give us butterflies and, of course, guarantee us constant ass.

There is always the potential that you may one day be creating genetic replicas of you and your significant other, but chances are, eventually everything will come to a grinding halt. When it does, you’ll be fine because you did not expect your relationship to end in the state of holy matrimony.

When it comes to life and relationships be realistic. You can’t enjoy the world if you expect the world out of everything.

Erica Fritz is a junior psychology major and is very passionate about meats and cheeses.