Students in well-established relationships can find themselves in a relational rut with their significant other. But a little work and creativity can inject new life into that relationship and keep it strong for the long term.

"Having an open relationship and being able to talk to each other about how we feel and any problems we have is the best way to keep our relationship healthy," said Melinda Feldkamp, senior in social work.

She and her high school sweetheart, Justin Knowles, who graduated from Manhattan Technical College, will celebrate their six-year anniversary in November.

"The first thing you have to do to make sure you keep that relationship strong is to realize ... you are in a relationship that is not static," said Tony Jurich, professor of family studies and human services. "You are in a relationship that is going to change and grow."

Often those changes include different hobbies, friends or social circles. But that doesn't have to be bad.

"It's important to have other things to do other than just hanging out with each other," said Feldkamp. "It'll get boring if all you have to talk about is what you did with each other."

Shelly Ritter, senior in biology, said she and her long-distance boyfriend of two years strive to make their time together fresh.

"When we see each other we still try and keep it special," Ritter said. "It's never the same. We keep it interesting."

It can be tempting when infatuation strikes to channel one's time and interest on that special person, but Feldkamp said building a long-term relationship requires balance and an understanding of oneself.

"Make sure that you know who you are before you try to figure out somebody else," Feldkamp said. "Make sure you know what you want before you get involved in a long-term relationship."

Feldkamp added that part of knowing who you are is having friends and a good support system you can fall back on if something does go wrong, and just to have other outside activities that you can do without your partners.

That balance also includes spending time doing activities as a couple or with family and mutual friends. Feldkamp said she and her boyfriend enjoy the outdoors and fishing together.

"The most important thing to me is that I like how our families are really close," Ritter said. "We hang out a lot and watch football on Sundays."

Regardless of whether a couple needs to add some individuality to the mix or just spice up their time together with new activities, trying something a bit out of the ordinary can help build a stronger, healthier relationship for the long-term.

"Every once in a while, do something different," Jurich said. "Sometimes that's not bad. Sometimes you need to do something surprising."