I dated this girl, Kym, for 8 months during my sophomore year of college starting on Sept 26, 2004. On June 23, 2005 she broke up with me, claiming she needed some time alone. She'd always been in one relationship or another since middle school, so she felt she needed space to discover if she had a need to be with someone or if she really genuinely cared. I didn't fully understand, but I gave her the space she needed.

Then, only two weeks later, she began dating some one new. At some point the two of them slept together. Returning back to college, she realized she made a mistake and wanted to be with me again. On September 9, 2005 we got back together and things have been going pretty well.

My problem, I think, is kind of obvious. She lied to me, broke my heart, had sex with another guy, and then BOOM she's back with me. She'd always had attachment issues (thanks to a seven year abusive relationship when she was younger) and when she began to love me she became scared. So rather than face the problem she ran from it. This isn't an excuse, but the motive is important. She didn't intentionally set out to hurt me. However, that doesn't erase the fact that she did.

Now I am generally happy with her, but I question if I'm doing the right thing. I felt that she didn't deserve a second chance with me, but I admittedly care about her a great deal, apparantly enough to overlook her major error. She and I are falling for each other all over again and rather quickly this time around, and I want to make sure I made the right decision before it potentially becomes too painful to pull out.

I've done well at forgiving her, but it's hard to forget what she put me through. I know for a fact that she would not do something like that again and that the summer was one of painful soul-searching for her. In the unlikely event that she did hurt me again I would not take her back. I believe in second chances and then that's it. But the pain I still feel is difficult. All my friends/family advised me to stay away from her and pursue someone new: "You're young, play the dating game for awhile." I have my heart set on this girl but I guess my mind doesn't know if she really deserves it...

Any advice/thoughts would be welcome.

People do make mistakes, and some people learn from them while others keep making the same mistake over and over. Only you can decide whether it is worth risking being hurt to give the relationship another chance.
With that said, my advice to you would be this. Be sure to take the time to maintain other friendships so if it doesn't work out you will still have some sort of group of friends. This doesn't have to be dating someone else, just people you can hang out with that are your friends. Maintain some interests and a life outside the relationship.

College is a rather rough time, you develop into more maturity and a sense of independence appears. Personality changes may come, and new activities and discoveries await the students. Your mind is unshapen and open for anything, and you may cling to certain things that you are presented first.

Having this relationship is fantastic for you, it gives you someone to spend time with and confide in. But she has lied to you and there were repercussions later on, this is most likely her fault and not your own actions bringing this.

Rather then leave her or have her initiate a change, you do it. These problems are obviously her own and a talk and perhaps in the change of the lifestyle of the relationship is needed. If you are overall very happy with your mate, it is best to stick through the troubles, that is life afterall.
But because of going through the life changing experience of college, your judgment may and most likely is jaded. These young relationships are loaded with fantasies and things you want to be there but are necessarily there. You getting heavily involved with her, as well as physically involved *ahem*, will definitely grow a mighty huge attachment that will affect your reasoning.

What should you do? My advice is a simple one. Think about what you want out of the relationship and how it is going and where it may go soon. Then sit down with your lucky lady and talk about it, a little Q & A. This may take several conversations, but this therapeutic exercise will most likely help iron out whatever your complaints and her insecurities are. You also may want to delve deeper into finding out what her past relationships were like.
And another thing to do would change up the relationship, do different things together, go different places, the scenery and activity change will let you know if you are actually compatible with her, as opposed to the same generic dating process that may get you nowhere.
Talk, women love it with men that are good listeners and express their emotions.

All, in all...i wish you the best of luck and with your exit to college, this relationship may be the most important one of your life.