High school relationships simultaneously cause hearts to flutter erratically and shatter tragically. Teenagers are driven wild by the prospect of being wanted and sharing such an intimate connection with another person. Movies and television shows have given teenagers false hope of living happily ever after with the person one chooses to date in high school. These films often end right before college, the main culprit of ruining high school relationships. Though high school relationships provide a wonderful opportunity for emotional development and growth, individuals of the relationship should ultimately end after high school in order to prevent prolonged emotional suffering and open oneself to new experiences in college.

Although high school dating is not essential, it is important in order to discover personal needs and preferences and another person’s needs and preferences. The probability of two teenagers falling in love, or even knowing what real love feels like, is unlikely, but possible. That being said, most high school couples do not enter a relationship with the intention of spending the rest of their lives together. Nonetheless, everything happens for a reason and each relationship is a learning opportunity regardless of the outcome. Every relationship further prepares an individual for whoever they ultimately want to settle down with. The work involved in maintaining a healthy relationship takes many by surprise, and allows teenagers to grow accustomed to caring for another person.

However, by breaking prior to attending college, individuals in a high school relationship can meet new people and experience new things that may otherwise be hindered due a lingering relationship. College is a new place filled with brand new people, so college students often wish for a new start– New friends, new city and new relationships. Deviating from something familiar and comfortable is terrifying, but necessary for personal growth. In addition, because breaking up with someone while still harboring feelings for them is incredibly painful, especially if there was mutual growth in the relationship, the couple should allow enough time before college to recover and move on. Starting college should be exciting and exploratory, not miserable.

Couples who decide to stay together and try a long-distance relationship often do not anticipate the pain of caring for someone while not being able to touch or see them in person. This route is only maintainable through incredible trust within a couple, otherwise tension and frustration may arise. Because maintaining a healthy long-distance relationship requires great work and effort, many couples who try to stay together through their first year of college find that their relationship is unable to withstand the pressure.

High school relationships may not lead to finding a soulmate, but they can be fundamental to individual growth and perceptions of relationships. Learning how to care for another person is an invaluable lesson which causes individuals to learn more about themselves in the process. If maintaining a high school relationship through college seems maintainable and appealing, couples should make that effort. However, that relationship is unlikely to last, and because the relationship is at risk of ending poorly, one should consider parting ways earlier on. Individuals in a high school relationship can greatly benefit from ending their relationship in order to open oneself up to new people and experiences. Because college is a place to explore, high school students should free themselves from a lingering relationship for the chance to experience them.