When we students enter high school, we often begin to fantasize about relationships. Excited, we gossip about our “talking stages” and another student’s love life. When we come across relationship posts on social media celebrating couple days like National Girlfriend Day or Boyfriend Day, the desire for a boyfriend or girlfriend continues to grow deeper.
Phrases like “I want a boyfriend” or “I want a girlfriend” are constantly repeated throughout the school body—even between grade levels. With the winter season often being referred to as the “cuffing season,” students seem to be more desperate in trying to find a boyfriend or girlfriend. Of course, as adolescents, it is natural for us to begin gaining interest in others and romanticize love, but at what cost?
As single students, we often forget that our primary role is being a student. It is crucial for us to remember our priorities, as the phrase “blinded by love” can become a reality; we become so focused on our love life that we regret our decisions only after we have made mistakes. This is especially true since we attend a school highly focused on academics.
A common source of stress that students in relationships encounter is finding the balance between academics and love life. Year by year, school becomes more difficult; we are faced with more AP courses, countless summatives, increasingly difficult language courses, and challenging math courses. When counting extracurricular activities on top of this, time is limited. If we spend most of our time texting, calling, and going on dates with a significant other, we are sacrificing our time to study.
In contrast, when spending more time on academics, those in relationships sometimes feel guilty for not being able to invest time for their loved ones. For instance, if one partner is focused on studying for summatives while the other has a more relaxed schedule, it is inevitable for one to feel guilty while the other feels neglected, creating tension in the relationship. Getting into a relationship without accounting for all this would only result in an unstable one.
But when we widen our perspective, high school life is something we experience just once in our lifetime, and so is high school “love” life. Although it is hard to imagine, one day, we will no longer be roaming around the same hallway to see our “hallway crushes,” eating in the same cafeteria, or cheering for athletes from the bleachers after school.
Choosing whether to stay single or navigate through the highs and lows of a relationship is a personal choice. However, remember that maintaining a relationship when highly valuing grades can be difficult. Find the balance.
