As a 13-year-old girl I always dreamed about the day I would enter the adult world of high school. After watching countless romance movies and falling in love with Hillary Duff’s “A Cinderella Story,” I had a perfectly painted picture of how my high school years would go. They would be filled with kisses stolen under the bleachers, secret lover letters in my locker, and cute boys driving me around in their old beat up truck. However, as many of us know, this is not how the real world works. As young kids we believe that once you get to high school dating becomes a whole new game filled with late night adventures and cute text messages. But what they don't tell you is that dating in high school is completely pointless. Now, I’m not saying that I don’t believe in high school sweat hearts, because my parents were high school sweet hearts and they have been happily married for over twenty years. What I am saying is because of these seven reasons, dating in high school rarely leads to such commitment.
1. Immaturity
As much as we liked to think we were mature adults in high school, we weren’t. We weren’t ready for the actual responsibilities that came with having an adult relationship, such as good communication and patience. Not to mention the fact that boys mature at a slower rate than females do.
2) “Oh Shiny” mentality.
As young adults we were still in the “oh shiny” mindset. Once we were finally in a relationship, either you or your partner would see something new and intriguing walk down the hallway and become disinterested in the relationship quickly.
3) Infatuation
At such a young age kids can have a crush on someone that they think quickly turns into love. However, that feeling that they think is love is merely infatuation. Many teenagers don’t make that emotional bond with another person that can turn into real love.
4) Possession
I can’t count how many times in high school I heard about couples having jealousy issues. Relationships in high school become too possessive because one person is worried who the other will be getting answers from in math class.
5) Your relationship is everyone's business.
Especially coming from a small high school, I know the struggle of how hard it is to keep your relationship private. High school is too small of a place to try to be intimate with someone without having everyone else know your business.
6. There are so many fish in the sea.
Once you go on to the next chapter in your life you will realize how many other people there are in this world. High school is such a small bubble you get stuck in that you don’t realize there are many other pools to choose from. And once you realize this, you will kick yourself for being hung up on that one senior at your school for so long.
7. Life after high school exists.
If your relationship does last longer than six months and you make it to the end of your senior year you have a difficult road ahead of you. With your partner moving to a college three hours away it gets hard to keep the love in the relationship.
If I could tell my 15-year-old self what I know now, my high school experience would be very different. I would realize that dating in high school is just an emotional roller coaster ride that is very unnecessary. So, to the girls in high school right now, enjoy these four years while you can. Don’t get hung up on a guy that doesn't text you back, just do you and remember that DOES get better after high school.
