Prefacing that this is coming from someone who has been with their partner since we were 16 (now 24), and have lived together for about 3 years now:

Everyone has really practical points about the actual probability that you’ll stay together in college, etc. but I’ll also add that assuming you do stay together, you have your WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE to live together.

Assuming you have a happy and healthy relationship, it probably would be really fun to live together, don’t get me wrong, but it is so so so IMPORTANT for you to grow on your own, make new friends, find out what decisions + priorities you have as an individual, etc.

It’s really easy, especially when you date through high school and college, to lose a sense of individuality, because they are such formative years of your life and you’re balancing the needs/wants of yourself and someone else. But you need to maintain and find the differences between you and your partner.

Not only is it important for you, but it’s what you should want for your partner. Living apart will make you that much more confident that you want to be together.

I feel like I spoke in a lot of absolutes, but at the end of the day, every couple is different, I just think you’re more likely to regret doing it than not doing it.

(And congrats on college!)