UPDATE My best friend [22F] is giving up a full-ride scholarship to be with her boyfriend of >3 months

An update from a Redditor revealed the outcome of their best friend’s decision to give up a full-ride scholarship for a three-month relationship. Despite the challenges, including financial struggles and a tough breakup, she found happiness and learned valuable lessons. Read the full story below.

For those who want to read the previous part: https://aita.pics/semWR

‘ UPDATE My best friend [22F] is giving up a full-ride scholarship to be with her boyfriend of >3 months?’

My friend and I are now 25, and we’re still close. She did transfer schools and lose her scholarship. She also graduated late because of the transfer. In all, it cost her more than $30k in student loans, which she regrets.

Things did not work out between her and her boyfriend. He really wanted to live a party boy lifestyle with her at home to cook and clean up after him. They broke up one year after she transferred. She still had a semester left, which was really difficult and lonely because she had no friends aside from him and his social circle.

After graduation, she got a job as a teacher in her hometown. So she does have a way to pay back the loans! She’s pretty happy. She’s now engaged to a different guy she started dating ~2 years ago. They got together right after she moved home.

Yes, it’s fast, but they live together with no issues. They aren’t going to start planning a wedding until COVID eases up. She’s less gullible now and more skeptical of her mom’s advice. Her experience really opened her eyes to the consequences of her choices.

Let’s dive into the reactions from Reddit:

Summoning-Freaks −  Im glad it all worked for her, but that last comment made me laugh too hard. No kidding turning down a full scholarship for a boyfriend isn’t the smartest move.

plentypk −  My college roommate did the same thing with a full ride for grad school—star crossed reconnection with a hometown guy and everything!! Surprise, didn’t work out either.

Luvagoo −  Everyone in the last post was right – unfortunately you gotta let people make their own mistakes; it’s the only way they learn.

Kstrong777 −  Did her mom ever admit it was a mistake to pour romantic comedy nonsense into her daughter’s head?. Edit: grammar

epicpillowcase −  I will never understand women who do s**t like this for a man. I know I’m being a judgy b**ch but honestly I just think it’s foolish and sad.

CurvyBadger −  Whew I can relate to your friend, I almost did this TWICE! Once for a boy I was dating my freshman year of college, and then once for a man I was engaged to during the first semester of my PhD.

I did not follow through with EITHER and I am very glad because neither relationship ended up working out and I would have, like your friend, been lonely and in more debt! I’m glad her life worked out in the end, but that is quite the lesson to learn!

SeparateOrange −  I’m shocked! /s. Thanks for the update, glad she learned her lesson.

dukeofbun −  I think some people just go through life not really learning the underlying lesson that connects all the drama in their lives.
I had a friend at school who would “fall in love” over and over. Always with some nightmarishly unsuitable guy. One was writing her from prison, she was mid teens and he was in his 30s.

One she met online in the early days of the internet, she actually married him days after she was legally old enough to marry. We lost touch not long after that, every time I’d hear from her it’s the same. I’m in love with my biology professor. He’s 68. I’m 20. We are going to elope. I’m in love with the server at pizza hut.

I’m in love with my dad’s best friend. Every time it was like NO GUYS I MEAN IT THIS IS THE ONE. We are all older now and nothing has changed. Her current husband doesn’t work just stays home all day gaming. But, you guessed it, she loves him so…

beatissima −  This is an example of why society should stop placing the burden of life-altering decisionmaking on 18-year-olds. No matter how smart they might be, they still have the brains of adolescents.

Your friend’s mother apparently has the brain of an adolescent, too. Which is not surprising, given how smalltown culture infantilizes women to the point where they don’t view themselves as adults.

jinmunsuen −  Glad it worked out, still makes me wince to think about how she’d basically have 30k free if it wasn’t for that one guy. Most expensive 1 year relationship ever. :/

Do you think her journey was a valuable lesson in self-growth, or was the cost too high for the choices she made? Have you ever had to rebuild after a difficult decision? Share your thoughts below!