D IDN’T WORK OUT Students reflect on their experiences following a failed relationship
BY MEGHA MUMMANENI
A
s freshman Jillian Ju climbed the A building stairs alone, she could feel the tension between her and her now ex-boyfriend, who was waiting at the top of the steps. The two sat down and discussed the future of their relationship, before eventually agreeing that it just was not meant to be, and then walked apart on their own separate paths. Ju met her ex-boyfriend in sixth grade, after the pair shared the same classes. He eventually asked her out in eighth grade after they began talking more online. Initially, she wasn’t bothered by this but later found it odd that he had asked her out without the two knowing each other that well. Ju says the cause of their separation was the lack of stability in the relationship, especially since she was dealing with a lack of selfconfidence at the time. “During that time, I wasn’t that confident in myself as a [art] creator,
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EL ESTOQUE | FEBRUARY 2023
student or friend to other people, and so now I can reflect upon it [and see so I would constantly tell him about that] those were nice times, but I it,” Ju said. can’t depend “I think that on [others] my really took a entire life.” toll on him as Unlike Ju, well because sophomore he felt like John Jensen he needed started dating to support his ex-girlfriend a person in sixth grade who really after the two got couldn’t be to know each supported by other through just one guy mutual friends. at the time. After learning So I think that more about really strained her, Jensen S OPHOMORE us a lot, and realized that he J OHN J ENSEN that’s what had feelings for ultimately her before she caused [the asked him out. breakup].” However, he Ju feels that the separation was finds that the relationship was not as hard initially but was a good decision significant to him since the two were in the long young and it had only lasted one year. run, especially Overall, Jensen was satisfied with since her ex the decision to end the relationship and ended up believes it was best for both of them. moving away. After the two mutually understood “ [ T h e the relationship was not working b r e a k u p ] out, his ex finally broke up with him. allowed me Though his middle school breakup to see a lot wasn’t bitter, Jensen understands that more of what sometimes the experience can take a I wanted from toll on someone. myself and my “I think the starting [point], if you’re relationships, going through a breakup, is just not and I think it’s to remember,” Jensen said. “The first allowed me step [post-breakup] is just forgetting to reflect on and trying to think of another goal you [relationships] need to achieve.” as something Sophomore Petros Kougiouris distinct,” Ju also started dating his ex-girlfriend said. “I never in eighth grade, after really felt like responding to one of that was my her Instagram stories, life when I which led to the two was living it, talking more online.
THE FIRST STEP [POST-BREAKUP] IS JUST FORGETTING AND TRYING TO THINK OF ANOTHER GOAL YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE.