When couples are forming and ending at this rate, you are bound to end up in a situation with one of your friend’s old flames. If this occurs, you better be prepared to commit or run away for the sake of your friend and/or potential new significant other.
You must consider many things before jumping into this kind of situation because it can get sticky in more than one way.
1. How long have they been broken up?
Remember that relationships build up and break down fast in college. With this in mind, if the pair has not been an item for several months, both parties have probably dated a number of other people since then.
2. How long was the couple together?
While the length of a relationship does not always determine the seriousness of it, it often shows how much commitment both people had to each other. More time spent together means a greater desire for success.
If your friend was with this person for many months, it may not be best to get involved because he/she may still see the person as his/her partner regardless of how long the relationship lasted.
3. Think about what the relationship with this person would mean to you.
Is this boy or girl just a fling? If so, then it would be best to fling with someone else and not someone who had significant value to your friend. There are plenty of other options on campus for this so don’t go stirring up trouble for really no reason.
However, if your feelings are on a deeper level than physicalities for this person, think carefully: You do not want to miss out on a potentially satisfying relationship out of fear.
In this case, the best action may be to talk to your friend about him/her feelings of you dating the ex.
In the end, you should never dump a friend for a relationship. At this point in your life, you will probably have MANY relationships, but you won’t always have the opportunity to make great friends.