My friend was recently dumped by her boyfriend of two years and one month. After deciding to take on an internship at a major corporation (while still going to school full-time, thank you very much), she could no longer afford to spend every waking moment with him. Furthermore, the stress of juggling school and a full-time job would sometimes cause her to appear irritated or depressed, which would lead her boyfriend to conclude that she “must have become psycho” and dump her like yesterday’s trash.

Needless to say, when my boyfriend complained to me about feeling lonely last week, insisting that “I always just sit there doing my work, while he sits in the opposite corner of the room doing his work, and we never talk or have fun anymore,” it made me furious. Unlike him, I am constantly struggling to get my homework and studying completed and must slave over my books for hours if I want to have even a chance at that A. His lack of patience and understanding for my situation made me angry, to say the least.

Because of the inherent differences in work ethic and methods of studying, when two college students enter into a relationship, one will automatically be the bored, needy, attention-craving mess, and the other too independent and goal-oriented to give the other partner the desired attention. The two, each one failing to recognize the other’s feelings, will constantly collide.

Of course, it is natural to feel lonely and neglected when your significant other no longer has as much time to spend with you as when you first started going out. It is definitely not unreasonable to want to spend a lot of time with your sweetie, and can be incredibly frustrating when it feels like he or she does not want the same sense of closeness.

Still, I sometimes feel like certain people in relationships simply refuse to understand that college life can be quite taxing for a significant other — especially if these people, like my boyfriend, have always been able to get through school with minimal effort. They need to be reminded that their partners are trying to make something out of themselves, striving to be successful in college so that they may be equally successful in their future careers, and that undertaking such a task is incredibly time-consuming.

When one is a goal-oriented, driven student, pleasure and relaxation often need to be sacrificed, and this includes spending time with one’s boyfriend or girlfriend. However, this does not mean that your busy partner does not want to spend time with you. Think of it this way: if they didn’t care about you, it probably would have been easier for them to have broken up with you already. After all, even minimal interaction can waste valuable time, which can be more effectively allocated toward work.

Oh, and if your partner appears grumpy or is irritated at your desperate cries for attention, then it is probably time to stop acting like a 12-year-old and be more supportive of his or her effort. Many people work hard for their grades or at their jobs, and instead of incessantly complaining about their lack of free time, appreciate them for being who they are and what they do. Compliment and encourage them, and I guarantee you that your relationship will endure the hardships ahead.

Polina Deryuga is a sophomore management and pre-law major. Her boyfriend is annoyed at her for publishing this.