Spring break tans will soon fade -- but it may be awhile before heartaches disappear for many students who ended relationships last week.

Students often break up with boyfriends or girlfriends during or around school breaks, said Dr. Joyce Illfelder-Kaye, associate director of the University's Center for Counseling and Psychological Services.

"There is no single reason why, but it does happen," she said. "Often breaks are the first time students have the chance to get away and think about their relationship with a little bit of distance."

Bryce Kimmel (graduate-engineering mechanics) said one of the things he does not miss about being an undergraduate is that for many students, breaks often lead to breakups.

"It happened to me over spring break of '83. I was replaced," he said.

Kimmel said students often start relationships with other people during the time away, especially at home where they have already formed the basis for relationships.

"I think it happens a lot over summers," he said. "People want to adapt as best they can to their new environment. Oftentimes this includes finding someone new."

Eric Dittmann (freshman-engineering) said a friend of his broke up with his girlfriend this week.

"I guess he went on vacation and liked the fact that he was free to be on his own," he said, adding that he has seen other cases where people wanted the freedom they found on break to continue.

Illfelder-Kaye said breaks are often a shock to students involved in intense relationships and may lead to a decision to separate.

"In a lot of the relationships here, they spend a tremendous amount of time with each other every day," she said. "They don't really have a chance to be by themselves and to think about what they want from a relationship."

Illfelder-Kaye said students sometimes end long-distance relationships over breaks because they want a chance to talk face to face with their significant other.

"Sometimes students don't intend to end them," she said. "During the semester they hold on to an image of how their relationship is, and when they actually go home and get to spend some time with the person, it isn't quite what they remembered."

Gina Russo (junior-wildlife and fisheries science) said sometimes being away from each other over breaks is beneficial to relationships.

"I think breaks sometimes make you realize how much you appreciate that person," she said. "That happened for me over this spring break."

Illfelder-Kaye said it is important for students who may have recently ended relationships to spend time with other people and do things that make them happy.

"It's a grieving process," she said. "They may feel overwhelmed now and think they will feel that way forever. It takes time -- but eventually it does get better."