Walking down the hallway at school, I spot students holding hands, giggling, talking to each other prior to going to class. That is a typical high school relationship interaction at school. I can’t help but smile because I truly believe it is an important part of high school.

Having a relationship in high school allowed me to understand what a healthy relationship looks like. Like many, I live at home with parents so relationships are able to happen in a controlled setting. I felt more comfortable with this setting and the limitations that come with living at home.

Having been in a pretty serious high school relationship allowed me to obtain and strengthen life skills. While I suppose others have had different experiences, I personally learned how to be committed, vulnerable, as well as grew my communication and time management skills.

One thing I learned from my high school relationship is how to successfully communicate. I found out really quickly how important and how difficult this skill is. It takes a lot of effort but once it was figured out, it helped the relationship become more successful.

High school relationships strengthen this life-long skill. Communication can be used in all aspects of life not just solely partner relationships. This skill can be used in a workplace, school, friendships and family relationships.

Also, I learned the significance of commitment and time management skills along the way. In the relationship, I figured out ways to make time for my boyfriend and put in maximum effort to ensure a healthy relationship. These skills and lessons can also be used in all aspects of life because more than likely there are going to be a variety of different connections and relationships.

Finally, one of the biggest things I discovered was how to be vulnerable and how to open up to someone. As a result of the relationship, I felt comfortable enough to express feelings and thoughts I don’t typically share with people. I had someone there to listen and support me while I got through whatever I was going through.

While in my relationship, I spent more time with my partner than anyone. This ended up making my boyfriend my best friend and ultimately grew our connection. High school had so many ups and downs and having someone on my side made all the difference.

I never felt alone and not only gained a best friend but also a second family. I had people there to celebrate my accomplishments and a safe place to go when I needed to get away from my worries. I had and continue to get so much more love from the people I got close to because of the relationship.

Some may say most highschool relationships end in breakups so why waste the heartbreak? While that is a valid point, breakups allow for another learning opportunity.

Handling loss and practicing healthy ways to cope with it, is something that is faced eventually in life. Losses can span from something as simple as friends fading, breakups, or something bigger like deaths. While I have experienced all of these, actually going through a breakup better equipped me to get past these hard experiences.

I learned how to focus on myself and to turn to friends and family when I needed support. I also learned that it is more than okay to deal with breakups like the movies, with reason of course. Watching rom-coms, eating ice cream, and letting your emotions out, but when that movie ends, the end of the tub is reached, or the tears stop falling it is time to keep going in life.

Basically, if I hadn’t gone through the breakup I wouldn’t have learned that expressing my emotions, especially in harder times, is completely healthy. I should feel no shame in showing emotions because they make me human. It shows I care.

I also learned the right way to end a relationship. I learned respect and showing empathy can play a big part in the aftermath of the breakup. I believe my ex and I focused on these during the breakup and as a result I am still close friends with my ex.

My high school relationship helped me understand who I am and who I wanted to associate with. I knew I wanted to surround myself around hardworking, caring people and I still use that today. I figured out that I thrive best with that extra connection and it made all the little and big things in life easier to go through.

Now I am not saying it’s necessary to go out and date the first person in sight, but be open to possibly making that extra connection and commitment to someone.