The transition from the junior high “I like you, you like me, and we are dating now” to the more serious relationships faced in high school is a big change for the maturing teenagers. So, it’s understandable to question if these students are ready for the obligations dating requires. So, is dating in high school worth it? In my opinion, the positives of dating at this age outweigh the negatives.

  High school romances are a good opportunity for students to learn how to balance relationships with their other responsibilities without the consequences of the real world. Dating takes up a lot of time and money; and as teenagers, those are things we don’t have a lot of. From trying to keep up with our classes and making it to practices on time, we have a lot of things going on and trying to find opportunities to see your boyfriend or girlfriend is hard with only 24 hours in the day. Trying to juggle all of these things are something adults deal with everyday, but instead, not finishing an assignment could lead to them losing their job rather than just receiving a late grade. High school is a prime time to learn how to handle this because the repercussions are not as severe.

  Students should use this time to figure out what they like and want from a relationship. They shouldn’t necessarily be thinking about marriage, but they should be thinking about what they want from a marriage, or even if they want to get married at all. Thinking about the future sends panic to most teens, but if you already know what you are looking for, it’s not as scary.

  Some may say that high school is a time to prepare for college and that’s it. No dating. They believe that dating will just get in the way of academics or athletics. While its true that athletic and academic scholarships are important and make it easier to get into college, a good boyfriend or girlfriend should only push you to be your best self.

  Dating in high school can be complicated, but spending time with the right person can teach valuable life lessons and help you learn more about yourself.