7 Reasons to Stay Single in High School ...

1. Less Distractions

One of the many reasons to stay single in high school is that without a boyfriend, you'll have less distractions from what's really important. One day, a friend and I were sitting in a coffee shop chatting when an older woman turned to us and began offering us wisdom and advice. What I remember her saying most clearly was “Don’t date in high school, focus on your schoolwork.” My friend and I simply nodded, but now I agree with and respect this woman’s opinion so much I could never forget her! Succeeding in school is so important that you shouldn't let anything or anyone distract you from reaching your goals!

2. Learn How to Flirt

Let’s face it - even if we all resolved to put off dating until after high school, we wouldn’t be able to resist flirting! But not dating will actually help you learn how to flirt, which is great because the flirting won’t end after high school! Staying single will give you the freedom to flirt with whomever you want, whenever you want so that once you graduate, you’ll be an expert at casual flirting.

3. Less Pressure

Not having a boyfriend doesn’t mean you won't have any pressure, but you’ll certainly have less pressure when you’re living the single life. In high school, you have pressure coming from friends, family, teachers and yourself. So why would you want a boyfriend who is just another person who believes he can control your life? A boyfriend can pressure you to spend more time with him than you’d like to, to forget about your school work for him, or to get more intimate than you’re comfortable getting. While facing all of these situations can certainly help you learn how to handle pressure, it may be easier for you to avoid that specific type of pressure all together for now.

4. No Dealing with “High School Boys”

One of my favorite movies of all time is “Clueless”. In the movie, leading lady Alicia Silverstone says about high school boys: “They’re like dogs. You have to clean them and feed them and they’re just like these nervous creatures that jump and slobber all over you.” Now obviously, I don’t think so poorly of the boys at my school, and I hope you don't either. But when it comes down to it, high school boys are just that: boys. They’ve yet to become men, so it may be better to wait to date until both you and them are more mature and out of a high school setting.

5. Time with Your Girlfriends

When your weekends aren’t clogged up with dates, you have time to hang out with your girlfriends. And, unless you’re extremely lucky, odds are you’ll end up staying in touch with your high school friends after graduation more likely than you’ll stay together with your high school sweetheart. If you begin spending less time with your friends and more with your boyfriend, both you and your friends will be unhappy. So don’t worry about dating now; worry about forging friendships that will last a lifetime!

6. Time with Yourself

It’s important to spend time by yourself in high school, when you’re trying to discover who you are. You don’t need a boyfriend to help discover who you are; that is something you can do all on your own. By staying single in high school, you’ll get a chance to talk to and flirt with loads of different guys so you can find out what “your type” is, without committing to anything too serious. And when you’re not making the boys at your school swoon, you can get to know yourself better all on your own!

7. There’s Plenty of Time for Dating Later

Once you graduate, you’ll enter a world full of dating and boyfriends, so why do you need that now? High school is a time in your life to focus on school work, friends, and yourself. Later on when you’re looking for something serious with a guy, you can give up on the single life. But for now, what’s the point in rushing anything?

I know that many of us want to begin dating as soon we register for high school, but the dating scene isn’t as important or glamorous as movies and TV shows make it seem. Dating can be a fun and positive experience for some people in high school, but I’d recommend staying single for this short, four year chapter in your life. What is your top reason for staying single in high school?