For many college daters, getting along between the sheets can be an important part of a relationship.

So, what happens when sex with a new partner goes awry?

“I had just started sort of seeing this guy, we had hung out a few times, and then when it came down to (having sex)… let’s just say I was glad it only lasted three minutes,” said UNA student Sarah Cunningham, recounting a bad sex experience that led to her not seeing the person again.

Cunningham went on to say that her worst sex experiences, however, have been one-night stands.

Daniel McDonald, like Cunningham, recently had a bad sex experience that caused him to stop seeing someone.

McDonald was having sex with a girl when she suddenly started talking, “gossiping like a dumb valley girl.”

“I went from being turned on to me just laying with this chick, being repulsed by her,” he said.

Nyki Pastuszka, who is now married, remembers some of her bad sex and dating experiences.

She said one of her worst sex experiences happened when a guy brought up his mother during sex.

“We were just getting started, and decided to try a different position, and he said something like, ‘Well, my mom said this position is a good one,’” she said.

Pastuszka said she has not had sex in that particular position since then.

But what happens on the flip-side of the coin? What if the relationship is bad, but the sex is good?

“(My ex) was always f—ed up on drugs, and it made the relationship horrible, but she was into all types of kinky stuff and the sex was amazing,” McDonald said.

Michael Haymon has also stayed in a bad relationship for good sex.

“This chick (I dated) was absolutely crazy —would go through my phone, my email, anything — but the sex was amazing,” he said.

The relationship eventually ended after Haymon moved to another city and sex was no longer a factor.

Cunningham said good sex has complicated breakups for her in the past.

“I have gone after someone post-relationship because the sex was really good,” she said.

So, how important is good sex to a good relationship, and, more importantly, what makes the two work together?

Pastuszka said the answer is communication.

“That becomes the end-all be-all,” she said. “If you can’t talk to the person you’re with about what you desire, that’s going to be a really bad situation.”

Cunningham said simply being able to connect is important.

“I think connecting in bed is very important,” Cunningham said. “I don’t think it has to be great at first, but I think you can tell early on if the two of you are going to mesh or not.”

Pastuszka added that trust is an important factor in a good relationship, sexually and otherwise.

For instance, Pastuszka enjoys sex with women. When she met her husband she told him that is something he would have to be OK with if their relationship was going to work.

“Now I have a trusting relationship with my husband so that he lets me explore my desires within our boundaries, because he understands it’s for the experience and it’s something that he can’t offer,” she said.

Pastuszka values her previous sexual experiences, good and bad, because all of them helped her learn her sexual needs.

“I think when you get to a permanent relationship, it’s because you come to a point where you know what you want and need and you both just happen to match up,” she said.