Breakups are tough enough emotionally as is. Many first-year college students experience their first breakup when their high school partner goes to a different school or stays behind at home. Fortunately, not having to see your ex can make the healing process easier. But what do you do when you break up with a college partner, and you still have to see them around campus and in your college city? Distraction breaks down what you can do in the case of a EXcounter.

Same School, Different Majors

This scenario is likely the easiest of all to avoid your ex on campus. While the University of Miami has almost 20,000 people coming and going on campus every day, you can’t go from one end of campus to another without seeing at least one person you know, so the chances of seeing an ex still remain high. 

If you and your ex used to study together at the library or in another populated part of campus that sees all types of majors, try finding study spots within your own school of study. Not only is it unlikely they have classes near you, but it also gives you a chance to surround yourself with people of similar interests, and maybe make a new friend (or more than a friend). As for the places that are harder to avoid and may be part of your daily routine, like the campus food court or Starbucks, try ordering ahead online so you can spend as little time there as possible in case of a run-in.

Same School, Same Major

Meeting your first college partner from classes is a common experience for many, especially for those in the same major who may have multiple classes with each other. But unlike the “same school, different majors” scenario, if you break up with someone in your major, civility is essential. This is not a case where you should block them on every platform and turn the other direction if you see them coming, especially if your classes together are not 100-student lecture halls. 

You don’t need to be friends, but you should learn how to communicate without angst. Don’t feel the need to rush a deep conversation that neither of you is ready to have, but agree on basic ground rules when it comes to communication and seeing each other. Can you count on each other for the study guide and continue to pair up for group projects? Or should you be making a new class bestie? At the end of the day, your priority as a college student is getting your degree, and no ex, no matter the circumstances, should make your academic journey harder than it needs to be.

What About Off-Campus?

If your ex is the same age as you, chances are you’ll end up going out to the same places. For first-year students, that may look like seeing your ex at Sandbar or Oasis on Thursdays. For students 21 and over, you’ll see everyone and their mother at Regatta on Fridays. If you’ve managed to avoid them on campus so far, the first time seeing them off campus is going to suck even more. Not only will it remind you of the past, but if you’re a few drinks deep, the emotions, whether sadness, anger or something in between, will begin to creep out. 

But no ex should stop you from having a good time out. However, this does not give you an excuse to act like you’re in a movie and throw a drink in their face or make out with a stranger (unless they cheated, then by all means unleash it all). The best thing you can do is act like you’re having the time of your life without them, even if it doesn’t feel that way. Order the fun cocktail with a name you can’t pronounce, money comes back. Dance and sing your heart out, and if it’s karaoke night, choose a song you used to listen to with them and make new memories with it with the real loves of your life: your friends.

words_amanda mohamed. photo_amber mason. 

Follow our Social Media:

Instagram  Tik Tok   Facebook    LinkedIn