The situationship started with a bang for a third-year Colorado State University (CSU) student during an October night after a flag football game outside the CSU Recreation Center. He offered her a ride home, where they enjoyed laughing about stories from their past and the professors they hate. When they reached her apartment, they sat in the car for another hour, doing more than talking.
Over time, their relationship deepened. They grabbed late-night drinks and did some karaoke. There were plenty of flirty jokes and a growing comfort in each other’s presence. They slowly started to occupy more and more space in each other’s routines. There was no official first date, just moments that felt special because they shared them.
Then, boundaries started to matter.
As time passed, the junior quietly stopped seeing other people. The other partner did not. This realization came unexpectedly through a dating app, Bumble, a notification seen over their partner’s shoulder. “I knew we weren’t on the same page from the beginning, and my gut hit after that,” the junior said. “I felt dumb for assuming exclusivity when we never talked about it.”
The junior, who felt very hurt, avoided bringing it up. “I didn’t want to make them mad,” they said. “I was depressed, but I kept telling myself it was fine.” The situationship fizzled without a formal ending, just leaving confusion rather than a confession.
In today’s dating world, relationships come in many forms, sometimes not fitting within any traditional labels. This has led to the era of the situationship, a romantic connection that exists in a state of ambiguity with no clear boundaries. Best of all, there are no expectations. Situationships have become common in campus life for many college students.
A situationship lies somewhere between a committed relationship and casual dating. It’s more than friends with benefits, but less than a committed partnership. There are exclusive feelings involved, but rarely a clear conversation about what is really going on. A psychology major at CSU explained it as, “We spend a lot of time together, we’ve had sex, but we’ve never actually talked about if we’re dating.”
College is a time of self-discovery. Nobody is there to tell you what is right or wrong. The pressure to define relationships can feel overwhelming for many students, especially when they’re already juggling academics and social lives. Situationships offer a way to explore connections without the extreme cons of traditional relationships. One senior at CSU put it this way: “It’s like having my cake and eating it too. I can chill with someone at midnight and still not have to worry about defining my feelings to fit their personality.”
Social media and dating apps play a significant role. While they make it easier to connect with others, they also add somewhat of uncertainty to situationships. Ghosting in 2026 has become a real concern for emotions. You’re making plans one day, then the next, you’ve been silenced. The fear of being ghosted leads some students to avoid expressing their true feelings. Worried it might scare the other person away. The uncertainty can make situationships feel like walking a tight rope.
What are the pros and cons? They provide emotional support without the pressure of labels. However, the lack of definition can also lead to confusion and hurt feelings. “After months of hanging out, I realized I had no idea where we stood,” says the CSU psychology major. “It made me upset, but I didn’t want to ruin things.” It’s easy for expectations to become misunderstood without clear communication.
If you find yourself in a situationship, the most important tool is honest communication. While it feels awkward, talking openly about your feelings and expectations can help prevent misunderstandings. Are you both looking for something casual, or is one of you hoping for more? Checking in with yourself and the other person can make the experience more positive.
Situationships offer space for meeting someone’s true needs. They may not offer the certainty of a deep relationship, but they can teach important lessons about self-discovery.
