College is a great time for you to find a relationship. It’s also a great time for your best friend to do the same.
But what happens when your best friend is the one who ends up in a serious relationship and is so stuck to the hip of his/her boyfriend/girlfriend, that you feel like you’re constantly invading on couple time?
In college, it’s easy for relationships to get seriously quickly. You may have noticed that people jump into relationships one week and then become totally inseparable from their significant other by the time the next week rolls around. College is an environment where these types of fast-paced relationships thrive.
But your friend is so in love that they don’t seem to be able to think about anything else (other than being with the “love of their life,” of course), so if you’re single and your best friend has a boyfriend or girlfriend, be prepared to Third Wheel it. A lot.
But, of course, being the Third Wheel becomes very annoying very quickly. It’s something all of us single 20-somethings have to deal with a some point, but you should not have to put up with it 24/7.
Sick of being the Third Wheel all the time? Here are some ideas on how to solve your problem:
Have a serious conversation
Pull your friend aside when his/her significant other isn’t around and let this person know your feelings. Tell your friend that you miss how things used to be and that you would like to have a good, old-fashioned one-on-one hangout when she/she has a chance.
What you’ll probably find is that your friend didn’t even realize that he/she was doing this to you to begin with!
Suggest an all-guys/all-girls night
This is one of the easiest ways to get your friend unattached from his or her significant other’s hip without having to get too dramatic. If you tell your friend this is an all-guys/all-girls night with your group of friends, hopefully your friend will have the common sense to know that it won’t be cool to bring their beau around.
Try a double date
Ask your friend’s significant other to set you up so that you can try out a double date situation. Not only is it less intimidating to go on a first date with other people around around, but it’s also a way to enjoy hanging out with your friend and their boyfriend/girlfriend in an environment where you don’t feel like the odd man out.
Set some ground rules
It can seriously suck when your roommate is in a serious relationship — especially when their other half comes over to your dorm room all the time. That’s why you’ve got to set some ground rules in place in order to avoid a massive fight down the road.
Even if you don’t live with this person, you can still set some ground rules with a friend. Maybe you can designate a certain night of the week to hang out that is only supposed to be for the two of you. Perhaps your favorite show comes on Monday nights, so maybe you could make this your BFF bonding time. No boyfriends/girlfriends allowed!
