...i hated it when my gf-who-was-my-classmate dropped out.

it was also part of the general life-change stuff that made her my ex-gf, too.

otoh she is a wonderful ex-gf, and has gone on to have a perfectly good life, and wasn't nearly obsessed with her research topic as i was with mine. which is i guess a lot of why much of my advice to prospective grad students these days is that it's only really worth the trouble if you're really gonna be obsessed.