Through conversation, students both single and in relationships make their own sentiments on Valentine’s Day and relationships in general.
Student share their opinions anonymously.
Single Student I enjoys Valentine’s Day and believes in timing when it comes to relationships.
“Even though I’m single, I’m glad to see couples genuinely enjoying that day,” Single Student I said. “For my single people, I guess being single isn’t really that bad. Have fun being single, you don’t need to rush into a relationship. It’ll happen naturally one day.”
According to Girlfriend I, Valentine’s Day does not have to be about a significant other.
“[Valentine’s Day could be a family thing, a friend thing or a self-care thing, too,” Girlfriend I said. “Obviously, it’s always really nice to spend Valentine’s Day with my boyfriend, because it’s kind of no pressure but an appreciation thing.”
Girlfriend II believes that Valentine’s Day is a “great reminder of love, but people put too much weight on it.”
“It’s a silly holiday for you to show your significant other, or anyone you care for, that you love them. That should be fun, not stressful,” Girlfriend II said. “Make them a card, get them a rose, take them on a date; it doesn’t have to be complicated.”
According to Boyfriend I, it’s important to “talk it out and never go to bed angry” to maintain a happy and stable relationship.
“If you’re going through hard times, you have to think about all the good times and you can’t let one little negative attribute destroy your relationship,” Boyfriend I said.
Girlfriend II also agrees that communication is key to relationships.
“My person is very good at listening to me, acknowledging and apologizing when he has messed up, and validating my feelings rather than jumping to the defense,” Girlfriend II said.
“Similarly, I try to carefully consider and understand his side of things before I fabricate my own conclusions and end up making myself more upset. I never want to make him feel unseen or uncared for. We never leave angry or without reminding the other that we love them.”
Girlfriend II said that you must always “treat your partner with love, kindness, and respect” in order to establish a healthy relationship.
“Often, anger or hurt are second hand emotions, and there is actually way more going on than initially expected,” Girlfriend II said. “If you truly care for someone and want to make things work, put in an honest effort and be okay with being the bigger person sometimes, even if that means being vulnerable.”
According to Single Student II, “people should not be so wrapped up in having a high school relationship.”
“It’s good to have a relationship with someone and to have the highschool romance experience, but your whole life shouldn’t revolve around that one relationship,” Single Student II said.
Single Student III, he believes that high school relationships are “overrated” and that students should prioritize focusing on themselves rather than establishing a romantic relationship.
“Most relationships end after highschool anyway because of long-distance-related issues,” Single Student III said. “I think it’s weird that some students focus more on having a boyfriend/girlfriend than their grades. I’m not saying that you have to get straight A’s, but you should focus more on yourself.”
One issue Single Student II has specifically with high school relationships is excessive public displays of affection (PDA) within school.
“People need to stop making out in school. I get that you love each other but it’s too much,” Single Student II said. “It’s just uncomfortable and makes my day disturbing.”