Give up on a girl before starting full time?

So I get started at a Tech M&A group in July. I've known this girl for years, and we've always gotten along, but never pursued anything. I met her at a cocktail party like 6 months ago and we really hit it off, and just recently like a week ago at another event. She asked for my number and we've been texting, and we're grabbing coffee in a couple of days. She's in junior year of college and I just graduated going into IB, but we'll both be in the city. I know the college dynamic is a little off but she is nearly as mature as I am. Should I give up on this and just focus on the job? I haven't felt like this in a few years, and I'm more confident in my self then I have ever been (fitness and personal stuff has been going really well). I met her parents at the event too and we've known them a while, and they also really like me (it's reciprocated, though ofc it's too early for this type of thing to matter anyways). 

30 Comments
 
Most Helpful

You should try to hold on to her because girls in the bay area are mid af (I am assuming you'll be in the bay area since it is tech M&A), and you don't want to pass those weak genetics to your offsprings. Getting a better girl will take too much effort in a much more competitive area for guys 

 

Echo above. This is like worrying about starting FT on the first day of your internship - no need to quit already.

It's not that deep yet, if it grows to that level then you can decide. Relationships develop over time and are guided by what each of you put in and what your needs are, you won't know whether dating while in IB will work until you both openly discuss your priorities, needs, and the compatibility of these.

Also, by the time you're starting to get serious, either of your circumstances might change; maybe she studies abroad, maybe you get laid off after 3 months due to a bank merger, maybe you land a buyside role. If you are honest with one another as the relationship develops (and obviously this doesn't have to be discussed on the first date), you can assess the compatibility of your relationship moving forward.

Worst case is down the line she says choose me or banking and you can make a decision then. Maybe you've made your choice if that arises but at least you get to learn a lot about dating and relationships in the interim. If you cut this off now, consider whether you'll regret what could have been for the sake of what you might perceive as a distraction, but could also be a source of support and strength during the IB analyst experience.

 

Why sabotage the future?

(a) If you give up on her, it's done 100%

(b) I you don't give up on her, the consequences are: (1) She stays or (2) She leaves. 50-50 chance on both.

So why would you take a 100% chance of losing her when it can be left untouched and minimized to 50%?

plz hit the books to refresh some of your risk mgt. classes

incentives trumph ethics
 

Go for the girl. Communicate that you won’t have much time.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Just be honest with her and tell her that you'll have much less time going forward cuz of your job and see how she feels about it.

When in doubt, use more peanut butter
 

Occaecati sed numquam qui ipsum ex cumque eum. Eius quia illo temporibus non aliquam. Quis reiciendis ea maiores corrupti necessitatibus ipsam. Minus ut asperiores impedit a dolor ut sint. Libero quam odit blanditiis aliquam ut animi nostrum inventore. Dolores maiores autem aliquid repudiandae labore ea.

Dolor commodi quia quis aut. Vel accusantium mollitia cum laboriosam numquam. Qui dignissimos fuga non labore maxime quis. A et officia quia placeat nemo laboriosam sint totam.

Perspiciatis quisquam ducimus facilis. Et id ex et cum. Dolorum ut voluptatem quis. Fugit ut consectetur corporis eum. Et animi fugiat doloremque iste. Et voluptatibus harum ut reiciendis consectetur rem eos itaque. Consectetur reprehenderit aspernatur placeat voluptatem quaerat quia maxime.

Harum distinctio consequatur aut doloremque qui dolores quia. Aut magni quo possimus enim porro et inventore. Est et id eaque facere enim dignissimos nemo. Ea perferendis veniam velit necessitatibus laborum. Vel maxime sit quis voluptatum.

Array

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”