Falling in Love with Yourself: The True Miami Merger Way

By Leah Hoffman

Edited by Taylor Morgan

Nancy Beadle / @nancyvrigian on Pinterest

Oxford, Ohio, covers about a 7.5-mile radius, 7.5 miles of campus life with over 200 majors, 20,000 students and 600 clubs and organizations. And among them all is the one and only UP Magazine. Not only are you expected to walk out of here with a degree, but there’s also this unspoken idea that you are supposed to leave with a marriage license, too. Or maybe it’s not so unspoken after all, Miami University actually has something called a Miami Merger. Just because you happened to fall in love within that 7.5-mile radius, just because you found your person among 20,000 people, you are rewarded with a lifetime of Valentine’s Day cards and the honorary title of a true Miami Merger. 

You might be 18, 20, or even 22, and your hopes of becoming a Miami Merger are starting to fade. You have only got four years to find that one person, so it shouldn’t be that hard… right? That idea that your person is here, it’s kind of wild. Where are they hiding? Maybe they have passed you on your walk to class, maybe they are sitting in the same lecture hall, or maybe… you have already said hello without even realizing it. With the excitement of possibly becoming a Miami Merger also comes the fear of not becoming one. But honestly, the reality of it, and the numbers, make it a little easier to breathe. Only about 14% of students who meet here actually go on to get married. Not to say they don’t exist, because they definitely do. I’ve seen them, spotted them out in the wild, even. And I’m sure this generation will have its fair share of Miami Mergers. But the real question is… will you be one of them?

The world is huge. Your hometown? Smaller. And your college campus? Even Smaller. And even though the people on this campus are great, there’s still an 86% chance that your person isn’t here. The point of that isn’t to discredit your current relationship; it’s to help you strengthen your relationship with yourself if you are not part of that 14%. If you want to be a true Miami Merger, you have to start by being true to yourself. So go live the Miami way. Talk to everyone you can. Make friends. Grow apart from friends. Find the love of your life on the Brick dance floor. Get your heart broken the next weekend by that same love. Ace an exam. Flunk an exam. Laugh until your sides hurt. Cry your heart out. 

It’s college, a time when you are supposed to explore and figure yourself out. So my advice? Fall in love with yourself. Fall in love with your potential. Appreciate the love from your friends. And go out there and find your bridesmaid, not necessarily the groom.