By Angelica Recierdo, News Staff

Cardinal advice in adjusting to a foreign (eastern European) boyfriend:

1. Be open to his home cuisine (eat at least half of the beets).

2. Just smile and wave to his non-English speaking parents on Skype (Bonus: “Privet” means hello in Russian).

3. When he shows you pictures of his city, don’t say that it looks like medieval times.

4. Politely correct him when he mispronounces words like  “jacuzzi” or “papyrus.”

5. Try to “Europeanize” your wardrobe and accept the fact that he will never wear sweatpants to the dining hall.

6. Try not to blush when he kisses other girls on the cheek.

7. Have better posture and learn what that second fork at the dinner table is used for – he will be 10 times better-mannered than the guys from your hometown.

They may gawk at the two of you like a pair of zoo animals. Try to hold a solid stance and say it proudly. “Yes,” you counter, “we’ve been dating for over two years.” They chuckle like it’s an amusing idea to toy with for a couple of minutes. “Are you from the same town?” they press. “No, I’m from New Jersey and he’s from Hungary.” So not only did you baffle them with the contrarian notion of serious dating in college, but you also threw a curveball and added the multicultural facet. Relax, it can be done. It will take a heaping dose of patience, Internet access and the ability to decipher a Borat-like accent. But it will be the most fun and meaningful relationship your little 20-year-old life has ever seen.

The first obstacle to tackle? Time together and time apart. You may have majors that are polar opposites like business and nursing, but be amazed at the wonderful collaboration you two will create. He will prove his commitment to you by making an Excel spreadsheet of both of your schedules. And you will tell him about a thing called Tylenol when he becomes febrile. Instead of making your markedly apparent differences even more so, use them to be a well-rounded team. However, don’t lose touch with your separate passions. When he joins a few dance crews, praise the fact that he’s in shape. Let yourself go take those writing workshops you love; a strong couple can live separately, but just prefer not to. You’ll chuckle bashfully when you learn that intimacy means sitting comfortably in silence watching Netflix.

Now to the best part:  the dates and the memories. Relish the city you live in. There are few better dating cities than Boston. You will become a connoisseur of date ideas so prepare to live in the domains of Groupon, TripAdvisor and Yelp. Take turns planning and try surprising each other. Treasure that plate you guys made at the Clayroom. Despite the clichés, go see the Blue Man Group. From kayaking to comedy clubs, museum-hopping to sunbathing, there will never be a dull moment. It’s easy to get caught up, so remember to record everything. Take photographs in bulk and save every ticket stub. You’ll look back and notice that your whole world was inside one moment and you may regret not having something tangible of that.

So there will be more days of pure bliss and some stormy ones. Master the art of fierce, honest communication. Don’t let things go unsaid or tempers to boil under the surface. If there’s a problem, bring it up. Evaluate how you feel about each other constantly. You may feel adamant about your future together but don’t ever catch yourself looking beyond the present. It will only cause turmoil to fret over his visa status or where your next co-op positions will be. A kind of gentleness is necessary to be able to handle a relationship of this form. Its foundation is so fragile: Your homes are on opposite parts of the world and your careers will require different paths. People may think you’re a green card couple. But if you let geography bog down your heart, you will never feel it soar the way it does when he says your name.