They say distance makes the heart grow fonder.

But I am left wondering if this statement holds any truth. Did someone throw these words together simply to calm their own nerves? Or can hundreds of miles truly strengthen relationships?

With college decision day having already passed, and many students counting down the weeks until they arrive on campus, there is an awkward question which tends to loom in the air: to continue dating or to break up?

“Well, if you’re at the same school it could work. But once you’re at different schools, it’s so hard to [be there for] one another, no matter how faithful you claim to be,” said Katie Bulin, senior.

Her opinion is one shared by many. Can you remain in love with someone if they are on another coast, time zones away from you? College is something of a new world, chock full of experiences many have never been met with before. So, with everything changing so fast, it grows difficult for many to hold onto practices, even people, of the past.

But for some, the reminders of their life back home, help to ground them. Relationships can act as something to fall back on. When it’s two in the morning and you find yourself homesick, the easiest person to talk to may be the person who has grown to know you best. Even if they are states away.

“It depends on the people. Some people work well enough together that they can make it through college. But if people aren’t willing to put forth effort then they won’t make it,” explained Samara Lillioja, senior, on why the issue is a rather subjective one. Is there a solve-all, one correct answer to the question?

Luckily enough for the lovestruck teenagers going off to school, technology has made the necessity of face-to-face exchanges a thing of the past. Applications such as Skype and Facetime make the concept of a phone call so much more personal, adding video chat for extra pizzaz. There is texting and Snapchat, along with handfuls of social networking sites. While you may remain 16 hours and 7 minutes apart in actuality, the ease of communication sometimes assists in closing the gap.

But if there are people out there looking for a generic answer to the question, there really isn’t one. College dating might act as a saving grace for some, a restriction for others. It is something which must be thought through, apart from what others around you may be doing. For some, distance may help strengthen bonds. For others, the miles may only mollify relationships.