BY COLE MCNANNA // SEPT. 29, 2014 //

Relationships can be tough. They need time and effort to work.

Long-distance relationships are even tougher, because the time required isn’t always easy to come by.

Last year, my girlfriend and I had the luxury of living two minutes away from each other in Milford, Mass. We drove to our high school together most every day, and we could see one another just about anytime we wanted.

But because Molly, my girlfriend, is a grade below me, she’s still in Milford. I’m a freshman here at Curry College, which is about 40 minutes away from home. It isn’t as if we’re on other ends of the world, but it is a significant change from what we’re used to.

PHOTO BY JHAYMESISVIPHOTOGRAPHY // https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

As with all relationships, there have been big fights and little fights. We have been able to work through them, but it’s a little different connecting with your significant other when away at college. At home we could go for a drive and talk about things. Now, most of our time talking is done over the phone.

If you want to keep your long-distance relationship alive and well, you need to find a communication strategy that works for you. Take full advantage of technology, and make a point to communicate on a daily basis, says the online dating service eHarmony. Use email, text, video chat, Snapchat, phones…whatever. If you want to stay connected, you need to stay connected.

Ultimately, however, distance never dooms a long-distance relationship. Breakups are often the result of things people do when away from their girlfriend or boyfriend, particularly when feeling lonely. According to Cosmo magazine, there are ways to figure out if your distance partner is cheating, such as dramatic changes in tone when talking over the phone.

So remember: If you want your long-distance relationship to work, you need to figure out ways to close that distance.