Saida’s side:

Highschool… an environment where immature and young teens see being in a relationship as the most important thing to obtain and where getting your heart broken is the “end of the world.” Don’t get me wrong, having all that excitement where you get ecstatic about going to school everyday because your significant other is there is nice and all, but that’s just not the most important thing while experiencing your years full of wrong choices and learning from them. When The Cougar Press asked students at Ventura High School how long they have been in a relationship, out of the 833 responses received, 316 students said they have been in a relationship for less than three months. With the information provided, it is evident that most relationships in high school are short and hardly work. According to TCP data, only 193 students have been in a relationship longer than a year. Knowing that, it is clear that being in a serious and long relationship is not easy.

There are always alternatives to not dating, and I think people in high school should realize that a relationship is NOT everything and labels are unnecessary. When you are single you have the ability to go out and not have to worry about anything or anyone. When you live an independent lifestyle, you learn how to gain personal growth and how to love yourself rather than another person which is beautiful. With that being said, being single is definitely the move!

Billy’s side:

Being single in high school has many perks. One of these perks is the excess time. It allows said person to do whatever they want. There is so much time you can have to yourself for many things, one of which is finding yourself. When you have more time to focus on yourself, it is a lot easier to become your best possible self. In part of having time to yourself, you can learn from all of your friends relationships so you truly know what to do when the right person appears. When single, you can also talk to whoever you want, whenever you want and not get in trouble. You can be crushing on anyone and not have to feel guilty about it.

For everyone reading this who has never been in a relationship, there is no need to feel alone. Many people stay single all four years in high school and still find love. Of the 1,011 students that answered the TCP question on having been in a relationship, 176 students answered that they have never been in any relationship and an additional 165 students have only had “things.”  If you have not had a serious relationship there is no need to worry, there are 340 other students who prefer their time to themselves. Lastly, not being taken in high school makes it easier for your post high school options. You do not have to take into account your partner’s opportunities or miss out on any of yours in order to maintain a healthy relationship. You can do whatever you want to be your best you!