1. Make Sure You’re on the Same Page

It's great to have your priorities straight, but if you don't discuss them with your partner, your relationship will suffer. Make sure you and your significant other are on the same page, essentially that you both prioritize school above the relationship. That will lead to a much higher level of understanding and tolerance for one another.

2. Take Things Slowly

If things get too serious too fast, you might feel obligated devote all of your time to the relationship rather than your studies. So go one step at a time, slowly seeing how you fit into one another's schedule.

3. Study Dates

Once you do get more serious, you'll want to spend more and more time with your special someone. But between school, extracurriculars, and possibly work, you barely have time to study let alone go out to dinner and a movie. That's why a great compromise is a study date! Even if you're studying different material, you'll be able to be in one another's presence, which is sometimes all you need.

4. Date outside of Your Major

Dating within your major can make things a lot messier than they need to be. In theory, it sounds great; you'll help each other on assignments, take classes together, and understand each other on a deeper level. But in reality, dating outside of your major is probably better. That way, you'll avoid too much competition during school on exams and after graduation for jobs. Plus, it's important to have time apart from your partner so that you don't get tired of seeing one another.

5. Close, but Not Too Close for Comfort

Better yet, try dating someone outside of your school. If you date someone who's just a train or subway ride away, you won't feel pressured to abandon your studies and head over to their dorm all the time. Rather, the relationship can be something else you fit into your schedule on the weekends to unwind and catch up.

6. Be Open

Being open and honest is critical to making any relationship work, but especially during college. If your partner is taking up too much of your time, speak up! Tell them that you need to focus on your studies more than dating, and hopefully your words will fall on understanding and compassionate ears. If not, they probably aren't the right person to date in the first place.

7. Eat Meals Together

The most convenient (and cheapest!) date is in the dining hall. Granted, it's not the most romantic setting for a date night, but you have to eat! So why not eat together, catch up, play footsies under the table, etc.!

Believe it or not, you can make a relationship work in college. It won't be the easiest thing, but if you follow these tips, you can definitely balance dating and studying in college. How else do you manage to maintain a healthy relationship and high grades?