Taking senior relationships step by step

BY HOPE CALLAGHAN Editor-in-Chief

As graduation comes closer, seniors are starting to make plans for their future whether it’s working, a gap year, moving away and much more, but being in a highschool relationship makes things even more complicated.

Romance blooms in all grades at Sequoia, between the freshmen we deem cringe and immature, to the seniors that are probably just as bad. I hear people my age now talking about the annoying underclassmen couples on campus and although I do understand the hatred of public displays of affection (PDA), it also makes me smile to see younger people making memories and learning things about themselves and others.

Being a senior is mostly a balancing act, juggling nostalgia and preparing to leave home. It’s hard to accept that the first 18 years were a free trial before adulthood but being in a highschool relationship on the edge of longdistance makes it feel much more real. The wide variety of choices Sequoia students face when making post-highschool plans makes every person’s path different. Between moving away and staying close to home, long-term student couples are aware of the looming changes.

I know that I, like a lot of other seniors in semi-long term relationships, was very anxious about balancing college admissions and my boyfriend as a junior. I was convinced that we would keep things entirely separate to avoid bias and temptation to go to the same college. However, as the college application process started, it was an impossible topic to dodge.

“When I was a junior, I was like, ‘we’re not going to tell each other where we’re getting into colleges’ because I wanted each of us to make like an individual decision without considering the other one,” senior Rose Hamilton said. some are making plans for their future life,” Hamilton said. “So I think it really depends on the relationship.” say keep your options open. definitely if you’ve really liked the person that’s definitely useful to have like someone always there for you [...]”

Hamilton’s relationship with Josh Lim has not prevented the couple from spreading their wings towards different cities for college. Although she had made it a goal to keep things separate, it made more sense to talk it through and the partners used each other for support as they made big decisions for next year.

“[As a] senior we’re just like, ‘I got in here’ and we’re going into different colleges, but we kept that in mind. So you’re, like, aware of each other’s choices and own personal plans,” Hamilton said.

Now that we have arrived at senior year and the lifestyle decisions have been finalized, couples are left to decide what comes next. For some, the decision is easy.

“Because I’ve known them for a while, I feel like it’s not even that big of a difference or big deal if it’s like a little bit longer, but drive to get to the same area. So I feel like it’s generally just worth it and it’s going to be okay with me,” senior Stephen Prado said.

Long distance has a bad reputation but staying close can also shake a relationship as things change from the scheduled, predictable highschool routine to the new paths. These new choices might invite change, pushing couples in different directions, or they may reveal the strength of the partnership.

“I’d say keep your options open. If you’ve really liked the person [it’s] definitely useful to have someone always there for you, especially since you’re entering a brand new environment,” Lim said.

No matter the personal decision you make as a couple, people will have questions. I had a lot of questions as a junior about what it was like to make “grown-up” decisions about staying together but it feels a lot less overwhelming as a senior because there is only so much that you can overthink and plan.

“Definitely a lot of people have been asking ‘what are you going to do next year?’ ‘What’s the relationship?’ and stuff like that. And I say, ‘we’re just gonna see how it goes to grow out’,” Hamilton said. “I think people kind of act a certain way when you’re a senior like they keep asking ‘what are you doing after high school?’

No one can see the future but talking through possible next steps and brainstorming a plan is the only way to get ahead of the big changes coming.

“I know some people are definitely not going to continue after high school and

People [have] expectations of you either to break up or to continue dating and so it’s just kind of interesting to see how people view a relationship.”

There is no wrong choice. The beauty of leaving highschool and its stability is that there are now infinite opportunities to live however, wherever and with whomever you want.