Do High School Relationships Last: 5 Ways To Keep It Going

Are you in a relationship with your high school sweetheart? Did you end up marrying your high school sweetheart? Chances are, in this day and age you probably didn't. That kind of love story is not that common anymore for various reasons. Young people realizing the importance of college education or the realization that there's a world much larger and with lots of other options than high school.

Still, we're sure that when you were in high school you thought that you and your sweetheart were going to be together forever. But then high school ended and you had some tough decisions to make, like college. During high school, maturity and rationality may or may not be fully developed, but thanks to hormones and emotions, the decisions you take may not be the best ones for either of you. Back in high school, you may not fully comprehend the consequences of your actions in the long term.

Is high school love conducive to successful marriages? What does it take for a couple of high school sweet hears to make and have a stable and happy marriage? There are some statistics that may shed a little light on this topic.

Teenage marriage has a high risk of divorce, that's no secret. Remember your high school days with your sweetheart? We bet there was a lot of exhilaration right? But there was also jealousy, a lot of pressure from your parent s and friends, insecurity and when it came to the future, a huge question mark. Now imagine going through all that in a marriage.

Research has found that couples who married in their middle 20's (age 25 and up) have a 50% less possibility of divorcing than couples who married in their 20. This data is backed by statics provided by Brandon Gaille Marketing. High school sweethearts that end up marrying in their teens' have only a 54% chance of having a successful marriage for more than 10 years compare to those who got married at 25 or older, the success rate here is 78%

High school love is sweet but the odds or having a successful marriage are against it. They do not possess the maturity, coping skills and the ability to resolve marital problems with happy solutions.

Today, the occurrence of a high school love ending in marriage is not very common anymore. Actually, only 25% of people are marrying their high school sweetheart, compared with those that did in the 1940s. Also, today only 2% of marriages are from a high school relationship, still 25% of women said that they married their first love

When summer is over, you're going to college. You have been preparing for this change and are almost ready but there's something you still haven't figure out yet: How are you going to cope being away from your SO? You have to part ways because each of you is going to a different college, either you're the one moving or he is and it doesn't matter if it's only to another State nearby or to the opposite coast, there's going to be some distance between you two. 

Your relationship is going to be tested, will it get stronger and survive? If that's what the two of you want there are some ways or tips to keep it going. Maintaining a relationship when each of you is parting ways to get higher education in different is not easy, but it's doable. 

Communication is key in any relationship, in a long-distance once it takes precedence. Plus, on this day and age, you have so many ways to keep in touch that there's no excuse not to communicate with your SO. That's an advantage, but take into consideration that making the call or sending the text or video call is not enough, for things to work out, you need to listen to each other and respect your respective schedules. 

College can get very busy and hectic, your times' zones and schedules will be in conflict, so you'll do better if you set aside an actual time to speak with each other. Be sure to communicate your availability and make the effort to stay tuned.

College is a totally new environment for both of you, so there's going to be a lot of changes and adjustments. If you're really communicating with your significant other, you have to be honest about what's happening, who you're meeting, how you're feeling with all the changes. Don't lie about it and say that everything's peachy when there isn't; if you're having a crappy day, tell him. Honesty will only reinforce trust and that's basic in your long-distance relationship.

In college, you or him, or both of you, will have the chance of being involved in so many activities (sports, clubs, internships); maybe one of you will take a heavier course load or do some rotation for your major, or join a theater club, or... the list can go on. The thing is that at the end of the day, you may be exhausted by all you had to pack in your day (and all the grief you had to take), that you'll wish to fall head first on bed and sleep it off, but it turns out that your significant other has had his final interview for that internship job he was keen to have and he has to wait a couple of days to know if he got it. 

He will definitely call because he wants to talk you to and tell you, he could be anxious or nervous about the outcome, so you need to be his personal cheerleader and encourage him to do his best. Maybe text him some encouraging quote or something heartfelt so he'll know that you're behind him 100%, no matter the outcome. That should work both ways.

You're not in High school anymore, so there's bound to be some changes, some could be very drastic. Don't get stuck in the past, you're both in a new environment that presents lots of possibilities and you need to embrace it. If you're not good with changes and adapting, now's a good time to learn. Try to have an open mind because that's how you grow and evolve. If you embrace the changes, some good things can come your way (regarding your relationship).

Maybe you get to fly home for Spring break or for a long weekend, take advantage of this free time and enjoy the time you get to spend together. Make the most of it, that closeness reinforces your relationship and it's like a little breath of air to endure all the other times you are apart.

What does it take to build a marriage that stands the test of time? When you enter marriage, you want it to be forever, sadly it doesn't work like that for all couples. Still, there are some couples that have found ways to make it work. It shouldn't feel like work though, but there are periods where that's exactly how it feels. Nevertheless, if there's love, things may get rough but you'll find ways to get back on track to make your marriage go the distance.

Here are some couple's tips to make your love strong and have a lasting marriage.

When the daily obstacles get in your way you'll be able to resolve them if you're reminded of the strong pillars your marriage is based on. So, take a trip down memory lane, maybe with a picture of your first date, or when you got engaged or of your first meal as a married couple. You can frame that photo or frame that memory in your mind and visit it every time you feel your resolve wane, look at it to remind you of why you got married.

Try at least to have one meal together where you'll talk about your day and how it was. Enjoy this time together and make the most of it (that means leaving your mobile devices alone). If you both have demanding jobs, set aside one day or night to have a date night and stick to it, no matter what. This tip is especially helpful for married couples with kids. It's important to just be the two of you once in a while.

You got married for so many reasons, one of them, to make your spouse happy, right? So even though our nature is to be selfish, you have to fight it because in a marriage you're a team that works together to achieve a goal. If each of you works on making the other happy, things will go a long way. You need to learn to compromise. not think only about yourself.

To understand your spouse's point of view, you have to listen. So you need to exercise your listening skills and leave the talking to letting him know you get his point of view and then express yours. You'll communicate better that way and your bond will grow stronger. 

When you got married you became one, that's true but you're still individuals. Respect each other's time apart so you can grow as persons too. That'll only benefit your marriage because, at the end of the day, you'll get to talk about so many things that are going on with your lives. It's important that you do activities together, but it's also very important to do your own things.

The odds of high school relationship lasting and having successful marriages of more than 10 years are not high. Teenagers are not ready emotionally and financially to face all the challenges that marriage presents. still, there's a percentage that makes it and is still going on. 

If they decide to wait, until one or both of them finished college, before getting married the odds are better; if you follow the tips above to make your relationship stronger, in spite of the distance and all the changes, your chances of keeping your love strong are very high. Good luck! We hope you make it.