Building Healthy Relationships at University
University brings fresh experiences and new connections. You'll encounter potential romantic partners, classmates, housemates, and friends, while navigating periods of separation from existing relationships with family, old friends, or partners. This might also be your first time living in a different country or exploring aspects of your identity and sexuality.
Relationships naturally involve complexity, but knowing what makes them healthy empowers you to build meaningful connections where you feel valued, secure, and genuinely supported. It's essential to remember that healthy relationships should enhance your wellbeing, not diminish it.
You deserve respect, comfort, and happiness in every relationship you choose to maintain.
Controlling behaviour
When a partner begins dictating your daily choices - from friendships and activities to finances and personal decisions - this represents unhealthy control. These restrictions might start small but can gradually escalate, isolating you from your support network and independence.
Pushing boundaries
Healthy relationships thrive on mutual respect for each other's boundaries. When your partner consistently ignores your "no," pushes past your comfort zones, or demands access to every aspect of your life, they're demonstrating a lack of respect that undermines the relationship's foundation.
Imbalance
While relationships naturally have periods where one person needs more support, a persistent pattern where you're consistently giving more energy, time, or emotional labour creates an unhealthy dynamic. This imbalance can lead to exhaustion and resentment over time.
Destructive communication patterns
Constructive feedback differs significantly from harsh criticism aimed at hurting or diminishing you. When conversations regularly involve personal attacks, name-calling, or deliberate attempts to undermine your confidence, this creates a toxic communication environment.
Feeling unheard or dismissed
In healthy partnerships, both voices matter equally. If you find your thoughts, feelings, or needs are routinely minimised, ignored, or treated as less important, this can gradually erode your sense of self-worth and agency within the relationship.
Holding back communication
When you find yourself avoiding honest conversations because you're worried about your partner's reaction - whether anger, manipulation, or emotional withdrawal - this fear indicates an unhealthy power dynamic that prevents authentic connection and problem-solving.
To see resources and support for LGBT relationships, click here.