Focus on your education…

Don’t pursue a romantic relationship in high school…

You’re wasting your time…

It’s not real..

High school students hear this all the time, so let’s examine: are romantic relationships in high school really worth it?

Many people criticize young people or dispel the notion that they can be in love or that they aren’t capable of being in a committed relationship. So are these people right or wrong?

Romantic relationships in high school can be a hotly contested topic, and the majority of the things that are heard about it are negative. But today, I’m bringing you a new perspective: my perspective on love in high school.

High school is the time we grow: physically, intellectually, emotionally, and the time when you learn the most about yourself. The person who emerges from high school, for the most part, is your true self. From learning to deal with social situations, grades, balancing extracurriculars and romantic relationships, it is arguably one of the most important experiences in shaping who we become as individuals. This takes me to the topic of this piece: love in high school.

There is that moment that people may go through when they have their first crush in high school; it is unbelievable and it sticks with you. No matter how anti-romantic or love-hating we teens can be, a first crush is a pretty special moment in teenage years. Love is something that simply cannot be controlled or understood. Love strikes when it wants to and no matter how much you try to hide from it, it finds you. When you get your first crush, you either pursue it or keep the feeling to yourself. However, that moment may come to define your future actions in romantic relationships or play a role in how you view them.

Even if you decide not to act on it, you learn a lot about yourself in the process of just simply dealing with it. Your attitude towards love, your stance on romantic relationships, and what it means to truly care for someone.

The argument that we are “too young” is simply a foolish notion because love does not see age, gender, or color – it conquers everything. And your first relationship may seem like a waste of time but the memories that are gained from them can have quite an impact.

While many high school romantic relationships do go south, how are you going to feel 20 or 30 years down the road when you didn’t put yourself out there? You have to live every moment, put yourself in every moment, and live every moment as if it’s you’re last. Every single moment, memory, connection, and interaction makes up who we are.

So are romantic relationships in high school really that bad? Take a chance, love a little, and you’ll be amazed at what happens when you’re honest and genuine with true intentions at heart!