In high school, it is difficult for some people to stay in a serious, committed relationship. So, I went around the school asking students what not to do in a relationship.

1. “If you’re in a relationship, you should not be putting your business out there,” said Juanya Williams, a Junior.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this happen, especially on social media. For example, on Instagram, I’ve seen multiple posts about relationships. Most of these posts are directed to someone specific: their significant other. Not only do people know who you’re talking about, but they now also know what you two are going through.  It doesn’t always have to be over social media.

“Don’t ever get your friends involved.” said Brian Vargas, a Junior. When everybody knows what’s going on in your private relationship, it’s most likely not going to last.

2.   “You should always communicate with your partner,” said Isabel Ruiz, a Junior.

All relationships thrive through communication. The person that you’re dating is dating you for a reason, which is to share their life with you and to be open with someone. Some people in relationships tend to be hypocritical. For example, they may lie to their partner about certain things. But, if their partner does the same, it’s a totally different story. So, I recommend to just always communicate with your partner and to be honest. If your relationship is built on communication, I guarantee you it will thrive.

3.  “I believe that you should never take your partner for granted,” said Senior Gamji Germain.

This is the best advice anyone can give regarding to relationships. The person you’re dating is not going to stay for long, be grateful always, and don’t expect them to be by your side forever. You don’t know what you have until its gone, so cherish it.

4. “It’s not good to have high expectations” said Andrew Betron, a Junior.

High expectations will be the death of mankind. In relationships, people tend to expect too much. Don’t expect your boyfriend or girlfriend to buy you flowers, send you long paragraphs every night about how much he or she loves you, take you shopping, or give you attention 24/7. Although that would be nice, you can’t expect your partner to do this because you will end up dwelling on the negatives and become blind to the positives. This will cause you to not actually see what you have in front of you.

I hope you can take some of these things into consideration, take a step back, and look at your relationship.