PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ELIZABETH MYERS | DAILY KENT STATER

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When Brian Fox called his girlfriend one day, he didn’t expect to hear another man’s voice on the other end of the line.

“When she finally called me back later, we had it out,” the junior psychology major said.

But not all relationships end with cheating. Often, other signs make it clear that it’s time for a break-up.

“You end the relationship when neither person is getting any benefit from it, when it doesn’t feel right anymore,” Freshman sport administration major, Kent Paulini, said. “You give it some time, see if it’s just a temporary feeling, but if it doesn’t go away, then get it over with.”

Reno Brosey, junior biological chemistry major, said once he has noticed a problem, he tries to confront his relationship issues before breaking it off.

“You have to go in-person, and you have to tell them why you’re doing it,” he said. “It’s for your good because it’s for your closure, but it helps them know it’s not all on them.”

Once the relationship is officially over, the next round of hurdles approaches – dealing with mutual friends, starting to date again and seeing each other in public.

“I don’t have a problem hanging out with my exes, so if we hang out with the same people, it doesn’t bother me,” Sport administration major, Adam Stone, said.

Paulini said when he sees an ex, he tries to stay away by sitting on the opposite side of the room. Sometimes it’s disappointing when she’s with a date, but if he’s also seeing someone, he knows his ex will feel the same, he said.

“It always brings back some jealousy,” Brosey said. “You reminisce about the good times you had, but you overcome the jealousy.”

It’s more difficult to move on from longer relationships. How long to wait before dating again depends on how well you liked the person and how long you were dating, Stone said.

“I don’t date again until I feel physical, emotional or some other attraction to another person, but I don’t think you can put a time limit on how long to wait,” Brosey said. “You can’t help what your heart wants.”

Contact student life reporter

Theresa Bruskin at [email protected].

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Whether it be after a few days or a few years, the flame can die. You can lose that connection with someone you thought was going to be that special someone.

Or maybe he’s just not that into you.

Whitney Cleland, junior sports administration major, said when the fighting begins and you’re arguing over petty things, it may be time for a change of pace.

“Everything they do starts to annoy you, and everything you do is annoying them,” Cleland said. “You just don’t get that same feeling that was there before.”

Freshman pre-nursing major Belinda Gibson and Jaleshea Cobbs, junior integrated social studies major, said relationships can feel repetitive, especially when you run out of things to talk about.

“When things aren’t going well, there’s no point in staying,” said Katlyn Brown, freshman pre-nursing major.

Brown recommended sitting down and breaking up with a significant other face to face.

“Do it like an adult,” Cobbs said. “Don’t, like, never talk to the person again. Be friends.”

Learning to get along without that person in your life can be hard, especially considering friends made during the relationship.

Gibson said that in her experience, male friends are more supportive of the ex-girlfriend.

“If I date a guy, and I meet his friends and he knows my guy friends, the guys will support me in the break-up,” she said.

If he didn’t cheat, Brown said she wouldn’t have a problem giving a guy another chance.

“You don’t want to fall back into the same thing,” Cleland said. “I’m all about giving someone a second chance, but some times you pick up again, and it’s puppy love and the same problems are there.”

Some guys, however, don’t deserve it.

“One of my friends broke up with her boyfriend, and he told her that he was the best she could ever do,” Cobbs said. “I thought that was wrong.”

Contact student life reporter

Adam Griffiths at [email protected].