My first relationship was far from magical. It was the wrong situation, the wrong person, and, most especially, the wrong time. At the moment, I hated not being in a relationship, and seeing others around me in them pushed me into a relationship I later regretted. 

There is a culture in high school where the shame of not being in a relationship pressures a person to jump into one, even if they are not ready. All this leads to is your expectations never being met. Constant disappointment, doubt, and regret—all because you rushed into a relationship. 

Relationships are supposed to be exciting, butterfly-inducing, and most importantly, loving. When you rush into one, what you are faced with instead is a situation that takes way too much out of you. Constant stressors spoil what should be beautiful and dynamic, and instead, turns it into a waste of time. Although the cuddling and swooning of a relationship are incredibly tempting, you are not going to get such if you settle for a relationship that you were not overly in love with from the very start. 

While it may feel like you now have no clue what to do with yourself, all that energy you would be putting in another person can go towards other, more important things. 

Before you can expect to care for another person, you have a whole other person to take care of: yourself.

Making sure you are ready to let in another person does not mean you have to put your effort into being perfectly put-together all the time. What does help, however, is making sure your emotions are stable enough to the point where you can take on the feelings of another person. Strong emotions like stress and pressure do not belong in a relationship, so taking the time to take care of yourself in however way you see fit will make you a better person going into one.

An alternative to this is something you probably hear from your parents: prioritize school. School is more important than chasing after a significant other, and prioritizing that sort of thinking may not be as useless as you think it is. You will have the time to find that special someone, even if it is not in high school, but what you will not get back is the time wasted on a sucky relationship. 

Find that best version of yourself because if you love the person you are, you will not need to find love for yourself in another person. Being alone can feel a little less lonely when you realize you have yourself to keep you company.