Sex in the Suburbs

Dating stages seem unclear, confusing

"So, what’s up with you and so-and-so?" A familiar enough question, but it can invite a very complicated answer. We all know the different steps of relationships — the hook-up, the get-together, the coupledom and the in-it-for-the-long-run stages. But, what characteristics define each step?

The first step is usually the most ambiguous — the "hooking up" stage. No one agrees over what the hook-up really means.

"A lot of times it means sexually, but I view it more as first getting together as boyfriend and girlfriend," sophomore Michael Soule said.

Others think differently. Freshman Kristin Pope said, "Anything from making out to sex would be hooking up."

The next stage would be the get-together stage. This step involves getting to know each other, meeting the friends, hanging out together and going places like movies and parties. This stage usually involves over-analyzing the relationship in terms of longevity and compatibility.

"I worry about how long it will last," sophomore Trent Powell said.

The next stage is the coupledom stage, which happens "when you exclusively date one other person [you are boyfriend and girlfriend], and mutually agree you are just going to date each other," freshman Lucy McCann said. This stage is a chance to become intimate with a person and get to know them on a deeper level.

The final stage is the in-it-for-the-long-run stage. Long-term relationships occur when a feeling of being comfort is reached and both people share their entire selves with one another. For example — after dating my boyfriend for almost four years — I could tell him anything, and he knows me better then anyone. At this point, the relationship has gone beyond just a relationship — he has become my best friend.