With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, some lonely students are desperately searching for love. We all have those friends in relationships who value their partner for 10 months more than their best friend for 10 years, but is dating all it’s cut out to be?

According to DatingAdvice.com, in 2015, 35% of high school students were in a relationship, a number much smaller than most think. This shows 35% have been happier than the others, right? No, it’s shown that the students with smiles on their faces are single. It’s been shown and proven that being in a relationship in high school causes increased anxiety and stress.

CORE Insider conducted interviews with students in and out of relationships to gain their perspectives on dating. One couple that was questioned is junior Hailie Schmaljohann and senior Wyatt Sampietro. One concern with dating is how it can affect your productivity. Hailie mentioned that being in a relationship is time-consuming: “A relationship takes a lot more time than just a normal day-to-day.” Hailie said, reflecting a common concern. Wyatt chimed in, saying, “If we actually lock in together, we can actually do like a lot all at once… She helps me focus; If I were by myself, I probably wouldn’t do my homework.”

“Being in a relationship actually helped my productivity.” Junior Elena Cuny said. “When you’re dating the right guy, then you don’t have to worry about anything else; it’s not as stressful,” she says, further growing the consensus that being in a relationship can improve productivity.

Freshman Jack Stover is single, and when asked about his thoughts on dating, it was clear he was negative about it. “It’s not really going to go anywhere… I think it’s wiser just to wait until after [high school] when everyone’s more mature.” And this idea is backed up by data. It’s shown that only 2% of high school relationships will lead to marriage; that means that only one out of every 50 relationships will stand the test of time, all whilst 7/10 high schoolers expect to get married, surely a recipe for heartbreak.

Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning of depressing statistics revolving around high school relationships. PubMed Central shows that 17% of couples report experiencing harassment during their relationship. Newsweek is saying a majority of Gen Z are cheating on their partners, with 83% being involved in a cheating relationship.

But is dating in high school pointless? These relationships can help grow an understanding of what it means to be in a relationship and teach important skills such as communication, patience, empathy, and conflict resolution, better preparing students for future relationships.

Obviously, every relationship is different. Everyone has their own boundaries, experiences, and personality. But if you take the opportunity to learn, better yourself, and better your partner, you will set yourself up for success, and that’s something they can’t teach you in school.