I can’t put a finger on the amount of times that I’ve walked into sobbing girls trapped between the bathroom stalls, being comforted by their best friends.  Yes, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  They’re everywhere.  It’s a plague—a zombie apocalypse that no Ben & Jerry can hide from.

Being heartbroken sucks.  I know, I know.  And when it happens, you can literally feel your heart strings pulling to shreds, and you “can’t even”.  Whether you’re the perpetrator or the victim, the pain is inevitable.  By the time you’ve finally moved on and met another special someone, you’re much too late in realizing that it was all just another facade.  And the whole cycle starts over.  You hear the cliché “You can do so much better” speech and spend hours deleting couple photos and updating your Facebook relationship status.

Now, obviously, I’m no love expert; I don’t have a single Ph.D. in Romance, but what I do know is that life—especially our short-lived high school years—should not be wasted on searching for an intimate relationship.  We do not need to sit around waiting for our prince charming, and we certainly do not need to waste precious time, shedding tears over somebody we used to know. 

So instead of asking Why?, ask Why not?

As a high school student, you should know well by now that late night studying is part of your routine.  Having a boyfriend is like adding 2 AP classes to your schedule!  Simply put, relationships are time consuming.  Chances are, you won’t be able to spend every second with your partner, and even if you could, what about your pal Netflix?  Or that history paper still craving to be finished?

These hectic teenage years were meant to be enjoyed; play those videogames, shop for those cute new boots, binge on that last Netflix episode.  You have the rest of your life to search for your soul mate; just look at Ted Mosby! 

More importantly, being independent means learning to appreciate and love yourself.  It means you do not need the approval of others—especially someone you share feelings for.  Being independent means that you are able to be content with yourself, that you are responsible for your own happiness, and that you’ve accepted that role and no longer need to be treated as a damsel in distress. 

That’s not to say that you should never experience love because you should.  Love is a beautiful thing, an irrefutable sensation.  Instead, I hope to deter you from believing that you should devote your time to finding and being in a relationship, and instead, encourage you to spend time loving yourself and finding inner happiness.

Good luck, Miss Independent