Many high school students make the mistake of focusing on love, rather than experiencing so many other aspects that make up our teenage years. There are very few exceptions to the brutal senior year break up of couples that have spent their adolescent years dedicated to each other.

Frankly, I don’t think it’s possible to find the love of your life, with whom you’ll settle down and have children with. 3 children to be exact: 2 boys and 1 girl, probably named Madeline, but you’re not sure yet because your future spouse would prefer using his grandmother’s name. At the age of 15, most of us can’t truly know what we want, as most of us haven’t experienced the world outside of our suburban neighborhoods.

Allen High School has a population of 4,552 students. If the world in its entirety contains over 7 billion more people, our school makes up 0.00000065% of its population. It is actually a one-in-a-million chance to be sure you have found “the one.”

This is not to say that dating is in anyway bad; in fact, it should be encouraged, as it is definitely enjoyable and in some ways a right of passage. However, it should never become the foundation of self-esteem and happiness. Instead, teenage years should be devoted to developing friendships, focusing on school, and maturing into a young adult. If you’re able to find someone to call your boyfriend or girlfriend along the way, good for you. If not, who cares?

Maturity is gained with time and experience, and commitment definitely requires a lot of it. High school typically represents most people’s developmental years when they truly grow up and into their own personality. Not to say graduation day sparks a monumental change, but it is safe to say most teenagers are simply not ready to spend the rest of their lives with someone, when they both have not fully figured out what they want out of their futures.