Why do you think the American divorce rate has gone up to a record high of 50 percent? In our current generation, college is the time when we think about who we want to spend the rest of our lives with. However, I have witnessed a significant number of people press the pace of their relationships to breakneck speeds. With people thinking they will meet the love of their lives in their first or second year of college and be engaged before they graduate, some tend to take the whole âÄúhead over heelsâÄù thing all too seriously. At a college like the University of Minnesota, there is a huge pool of possible significant others; there are easily more than 50,000 students within two or three square miles of campus. Even though there is that group of people who end up grueling over long-distance relationships with long-standing high school sweethearts, in college one gets to experience a diverse group of partners. Many should try to date new people, whether to spice things up or to learn more about others and oneself. I personally have dated over a dozen men in college so far, and I have proven to people who disagree that they were all quite different people. Basically, it is one method of looking for someone better by learning from your mistakes and thinking about what you actually want. People can also feel obligated to act fast out of a fear of loneliness. I have seen several over-the-top, speedy relationships in my first year alone. In one, the couple moved in together after being official for one month. After only four months, she became convinced that he was âÄúthe one.âÄù Another couple I knew became engaged after their first year of college, and IâÄôve seen a promise ring between people who were not even 18. Take your time when it comes to finding the right person. Once you get married, you likely cannot party as loosely or vigorously, nor can you partake in any satisfying level of innocent flirtation. Instead, you have your mate as your appendage for the rest of your life. Even if you are ready, or you think you are ready for a long term or permanent commitment, remember that these charms can be fleeting, especially if you havenâÄôt been with enough people to truly know what you want.