Dating in high school is rough. It stretches your budget and creativity, and tests your
scheduling abilities and confidence.

Going on dates is hard while only making minimum wage. High school is when your parents
start making you buy your own things because you have a job, but high school is also all about dating. Dating is not cheap. You want the person you’re into to have a good time so they’ll want to date you more. Everything fun costs money: concerts, bowling, the movies. Those kinds of activities hurt the wallet. It can be hard to gauge if a person is worth your time and resources. Sierra Geis, a junior at Bingham said, “I personally don’t have any money but I think the simpler and cheaper the better because then you’re not forcing yourself to have fun, making the dating atmosphere more laid-back.” When your budget is limited, it’s hard to plan a date.

Planning dates can be inconvenient. You’re limited by your budget and the people or person you’re going with. Arranging group dates is even harder. Everyone’s schedules are so different and finding a day when everyone is open can be very difficult. This summer I had to plan a double date. My schedule and my date’s schedule was very breezy and flexible, but the other couple was so busy. They never had time to do anything. It took a few weeks to finally figure out a day they were free. This made me more patient when planning dates and more aware of people’s busy lives.

Dating can be hard, but it can also help you learn important life skills. Samantha Ballard, a
junior at Bingham said, “It’s hard to find time between everything you have going on in your life and making time for another person. I only get to go out super late because I have work. It (dating late at night) for sure isn’t the smartest thing when you have school at 7a.m.” Dating and trying to figure out how to coordinate with your date’s schedules is hard.

Meshing everyone’s schedule with your own can be a nightmare, but it can also help you know how to manage your time wisely. Ballard said, “It’s helped me learn how to manage my time and fit in important people.” Time and scheduling are necessary when planning a date, and it helps you learn important time management skills.

Next, you must decide what to do on the date. This can really stretch the imagination, even if
you have some money to spend. Ryan Osmond, a senior at Bingham said, “I am about the most uncreative person on this planet so I am terrible at coming up with new, fun dates. My go-to is always a movie, but that’s not fun because you can’t talk to the person.”

Figuring out what to do can be frustrating. You have to take into account so many things like schedules, money, and who you’re taking. It can be hard to figure out what to do. Osmond said, “Sometimes I need to ask my girl friends for ideas because they know exactly what they would do on a date.” Asking your peers is a great way to figure out goofy, fun dates. It can also be fun to plan group dates or speculate on potential dating partners with peers. Dating can be extremely difficult, but it can also be a lot of fun.

Dating in high school is all about learning how and who to date.