Editor’s note: This article contains references to abuse. If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline or a local shelter.

I have personally observed that many students enter their first “serious” romantic relationship during college. I think that this stems from a combination of newfound independence, dating apps and being exposed to an entirely new group of people. While the length of these relationships can range from weeks to years, being in a serious romantic relationship can have a lasting impact on your life and the life of your partner. This is especially true if your first serious relationship is riddled with emotional abuse.

Emotional abuse can be difficult to pinpoint because it takes many different forms. It ranges from constant manipulation and gaslighting to verbal threats; but no matter the method, emotional abuse drains its victims psychologically. Emotional abuse can lead to a lifetime of trust issues and a lack of self-worth, as those who are victims of abuse tend to believe what is happening to them is their own fault. College students who may have never experienced being in love before may be more prone to believing that this is the norm.

Of college students who have reported dating violence and abuse, 57% said it occurred during their college years. I found this statistic to be particularly shocking, and it does not even account for the college students who don’t report dating violence or abuse. No one deserves to have their first serious relationship scar them for years to come.

Emotional abuse is particularly insidious because there is no evidence of the abuse on your skin. Your partner’s words haunt you every second of the day, but people often cannot see how much you’re hurting unless you tell them. Since college students are so young and often lack the life experiences that older adults do, it can be hard for them to recognize abuse, and it plays a role in their relationship. They might not even realize they were being abused until years later. The trauma caused by abuse can linger for the rest of someone’s life.

If you think that you are experiencing abuse, or have in the past, it is important to recognize that you are not alone. Reach out to family and friends, and if that is not an option, contact an abuse hotline or the Aurora Center 24-hour helpline. Getting out of these relationships can be extremely challenging, but know that what you are experiencing is not love. It is not normal. You deserve to be loved and supported, not belittled and manipulated. You are not alone.

If you’re anything like me, scrolling through Snapchat and Instagram recently has made your blood boil. People of all ages are posing for pictures with their friends while ignoring basic social distancing guidelines, as if the coronavirus isn’t continuing to ravage the United States. It’s mind boggling and borderline horrifying that people are willing to put themselves and their peers at risk for one night out with their friends. What’s even more disturbing is that people who want to be conscientious of those around them might feel pressured to abandon their principles, so they don’t lose their social group.

It’s okay to end friendships with people who think COVID-19 isn’t something to worry about. Whether or not you have a pre-existing condition, going out — especially if you’re not wearing a mask — is wildly irresponsible. More importantly, if you feel uncomfortable with going out, you should not feel pressured by your peers to put your health on the line. True friends won’t want to make you uncomfortable, especially during a pandemic that has taken the lives of some 200,000 people in the U.S. and almost a million people worldwide. Your health and the well-being of those around you is worth much more than one hang out with your peers.

While we might want this school year to be like any other, that is simply not going to happen. We cannot pretend like everything is normal, and we must adjust ourselves accordingly, even if that means losing out on some cute Instagram pictures or a funny, slightly blurry Snapchat story of your friend(s) doing something humorous. The short-term amusement simply isn’t worth it in the long run.

Pretending the pandemic does not exist is not going to make it go away, though social media makes it seem like it. No matter how many pictures you see of your peers standing cheek to cheek, people all over the country and the world are dying. Family members and friends are succumbing to the coronavirus, and it’s not going to end any time soon if you continue to hang out in large groups of people or leave the house without a mask.

It is also completely possible to hang out with people without violating social distancing guidelines. Have a socially distanced picnic at a park, go for a bike ride or just sit outside six feet apart. Wearing a mask does not mean you can’t have fun. In order for COVID-19 cases to subside, we all need to do our part, even if that means sacrificing time with friends. If you’re uncomfortable with your friends’ actions right now, it’s completely fine to cut them out. There are plenty of things to worry about right now, but the pressure to sacrifice your health and the health of those around you should not be one of them.

For incoming first-year students, this past year has been one of great disappointment. Proms, graduations and other highly anticipated events have been canceled due to the persistence of COVID-19, ending many high school seniors’ final year on a dismal note. The summer of 2020 was not much better, with many restaurants, bars and other services remaining closed. While other countries across the world have seen a decrease in coronavirus cases, the United States’ rates have continued to climb since the beginning of September, despite health experts’ ongoing pleas to social distance and wear a mask.

It is because of these increasing rates that it is even more imperative for returning college students to continue to abstain from partying and hanging out in groups of 10 or more.

Already, many first-year students have apparently found this task to be very difficult. Across the country, students, specifically those new to college, have made the woefully irresponsible decision to act as if the spread of the coronavirus could not possibly affect them. Because of this, several universities across the country have been forced to alter their plans for the fall semester to compensate for the alarming number of students who have contracted the novel coronavirus. Many universities, like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, have already had to move all classes online after a massive spike in cases following the first week of classes. One of the main clusters of cases at UNC was in a first-year dorm.

University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel seems to already be acknowledging the possibility of a potential spike in cases upon first-year move in. In an email sent on Sept. 1, President Gabel announced that not only is first-year move in delayed for two weeks, but all students living in University housing will be expected to abide by a curfew and limit their movements. First-year students were originally supposed to move into the dorms in the first week of September.

First-years, we can all empathize with how hard this is. You’re away from home for the first time, and you want to fully appreciate your newfound freedom. But partying amidst a global pandemic is just not worth it. You could get high-risk individuals sick, or you could get sick yourself and have to go into quarantine. We all have to make sacrifices in order to slow the spread of this virus and cease the continuous loss of life. So please, use your freedom to make responsible decisions, not contribute to this already terrible pandemic.