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Relationships should be a part of the plan
By: Kristy Collazo
Some of us have been planning our future selves for as long as we could remember. We took the classes that would get us closest to our dream jobs, spent hours studying to get the top scores on the ACT, and applied to the colleges that would enable us to have happy, successful careers. Others of us have dated the guy/girl we would marry, participated in clubs or sports that would become lifelong hobbies, and interacted with a variety of cultures to encourage our future travels abroad. Whether an individual is an academic planner, an adventurer for the real world, or a mixture of both, they have one thing in common with the rest of the high school population: relationships. Our interactions with families, friends, and lovers are essential to teenagers’ lives, but sometimes we forget to give them the same amount of planning as we do the rest of our lives. This lack of planning usually surfaces around graduation. Many seniors or soon-to-be seniors start to think about their relationships. Will I lose contact with my friends? The truth is, it’s different for everyone Some people believe that they will be best friends forever while others can’t wait to leave their high school years in the past. For example, senior Chris Witczak thinks he’ll keep maybe one or two friends prior to graduation, but junior Jessica Munoz believes she will keep in contact with all seven or eight of her close friends.
Though, for most, of being as close to their friends in the future as they are right now is unrealistic. After all, some of seniors will go to college nearby while others are headed to universities across the nation. Some will go straight into the workforce while others join the Armed Forces. And some will even start a family right after graduation. That doesn’t mean that being friends forever is impossible, but it will be difficult. The time to “chill” will probably lessen. The ability to relate to each other may get harder when one of you is a mom or father, the other a Marine, and the other a CEO. These same concerns exist when the relationship in question is a romance instead of a friendship. We’ve been together for two years, but will Joe and I stay together or will we only be remembered as high school sweethearts? Teens’ relationships with their boyfriends/girlfriends will change just as much as their relationship with friends. Munoz also understands this. She has been in a relationship for a year and two months but admits that “I honestly have no clue [if we’ll be together in the future]. You never know what will happen,” she said. This is not to say that you cannot get married to your “boo” or allow your relationship to graduate to the college level. The only thing is that boyfriends and girlfriends may spend time apart because of their different paths in life. Therefore, the birthday phone calls, anniversary dinners, and intimate dates will become even more important. Maintaining a romantic relationship is, of course, a legitimate problem but family, while it may be easily overlooked, might be the hardest to deal with.	Will I still see my family for just-to-say-hi visits after I leave home? You may think that your mom or dad will always act like your parent and your big sister or brother will always be the one you run to for advice, but there are no guarantees. Junior Priscilla Cruz thinks that her relationship with her mom will “never change.” Senior Luis Patino feels similar to Cruz when it comes to his father. In some ways this is true, but as you become more independent you become more of your own person. You want to follow your own rules and possibly go to someone new for help. No matter if your home for a visit from college, reaching out to mama for handful of spending money, or just doing laundry, anything that involves staying with your parents also involves following their rules. You can’t stay out until four o’clock in the morning. You can’t tell all of your friends to come over for no reason. And you MUST clean up after yourself. This may be difficult to remember. Relationships with other family members may stay strong if you’re close now, but just like keeping up with friends and making an effort to spend time with your honey, one must put as much effort to keep in touch with your family. Whether you have three more years or a couple of months until you grow out of your teenage years, the time is coming. You will have to accomplish independence. You will have to plan for your future. Most importantly you must remember that life will change and so will you. Today’s relationships may not be part of tomorrow unless they’re part of the plan.

Relationships should be a part of the plan

By: Kristy Collazo

Some of us have been planning our future selves for as long as we could remember. We took the classes that would get us closest to our dream jobs, spent hours studying to get the top scores on the ACT, and applied to the colleges that would enable us to have happy, successful careers. Others of us have dated the guy/girl we would marry, participated in clubs or sports that would become lifelong hobbies, and interacted with a variety of cultures to encourage our future travels abroad. Whether an individual is an academic planner, an adventurer for the real world, or a mixture of both, they have one thing in common with the rest of the high school population: relationships. Our interactions with families, friends, and lovers are essential to teenagers’ lives, but sometimes we forget to give them the same amount of planning as we do the rest of our lives.

This lack of planning usually surfaces around graduation. Many seniors or soon-to-be seniors start to think about their relationships. Will I lose contact with my friends? The truth is, it’s different for everyone
Some people believe that they will be best friends forever while others can’t wait to leave their high school years in the past. For example, senior Chris Witczak thinks he’ll keep maybe one or two friends prior to graduation, but junior Jessica Munoz believes she will keep in contact with all seven or eight of her close friends.

Though, for most, of being as close to their friends in the future as they are right now is unrealistic. After all, some of seniors will go to college nearby while others are headed to universities across the nation. Some will go straight into the workforce while others join the Armed Forces. And some will even start a family right after graduation. That doesn’t mean that being friends forever is impossible, but it will be difficult. The time to “chill” will probably lessen. The ability to relate to each other may get harder when one of you is a mom or father, the other a Marine, and the other a CEO. These same concerns exist when the relationship in question is a romance instead of a friendship.

We’ve been together for two years, but will Joe and I stay together or will we only be remembered as high school sweethearts? Teens’ relationships with their boyfriends/girlfriends will change just as much as their relationship with friends. Munoz also understands this. She has been in a relationship for a year and two months but admits that “I honestly have no clue [if we’ll be together in the future]. You never know what will happen,” she said. This is not to say that you cannot get married to your “boo” or allow your relationship to graduate to the college level. The only thing is that boyfriends and girlfriends may spend time apart because of their different paths in life. Therefore, the birthday phone calls, anniversary dinners, and intimate dates will become even more important. Maintaining a romantic relationship is, of course, a legitimate problem but family, while it may be easily overlooked, might be the hardest to deal with.

Will I still see my family for just-to-say-hi visits after I leave home? You may think that your mom or dad will always act like your parent and your big sister or brother will always be the one you run to for advice, but there are no guarantees. Junior Priscilla Cruz thinks that her relationship with her mom will “never change.” Senior Luis Patino feels similar to Cruz when it comes to his father. In some ways this is true, but as you become more independent you become more of your own person. You want to follow your own rules and possibly go to someone new for help. No matter if your home for a visit from college, reaching out to mama for handful of spending money, or just doing laundry, anything that involves staying with your parents also involves following their rules. You can’t stay out until four o’clock in the morning. You can’t tell all of your friends to come over for no reason. And you MUST clean up after yourself. This may be difficult to remember. Relationships with other family members may stay strong if you’re close now, but just like keeping up with friends and making an effort to spend time with your honey, one must put as much effort to keep in touch with your family.
Whether you have three more years or a couple of months until you grow out of your teenage years, the time is coming. You will have to accomplish independence. You will have to plan for your future. Most importantly you must remember that life will change and so will you. Today’s relationships may not be part of tomorrow unless they’re part of the plan.