I fall in the middle somewhere… I was in a relationship for a few years when I started grad school. I found out I was pregnant two days after the program started, and I gave birth to my son less than a week after my last final exam of the spring. Then I dealt with a newborn while completing the rest of my Masters’ requirements. 20+ years later and it’s all a blur to me now. I was stressed and sleep-deprived, but I made it through and I still love what I do.
You can have a personal life while attending grad school, but it doesn’t necessarily make either any easier. Since you are not already involved with someone, I wouldn’t recommend putting a lot of effort into seeking a relationship. Getting out, having fun, and going on a few dates is fine. If you should meet someone with terrific partnership potential, be honest with them that your academics are your main focus right now. If that person is indeed solid relationship material, they will appreciate and respect that, and not cause drama. At the first sign of whining that you don’t give them enough attention, set them free to find someone who will, because someone who is needy is not the kind of person you want to build a long-term relationship with – during grad school or after. You need someone who is mature and confident and secure in themselves.
@GloPro – You already have the capacity to complete yourself – you shouldn’t look to anyone else to do that, because they can’t. Depending on something outside of yourself for happiness and placing such expectations on another person is unfair to them, and relationships based on need rather than desire generally do not succeed.