One of the biggest mistakes someone can make in their relationship is expecting everything to work out wonderfully and go without a hitch. People often forget that relationships take a lot of hard work, practice, and good communication. The truth is that relationships aren’t always going to be great for you—especially not in high school. But with just a few tips, your relationship will be much better prepared to withstand the stress of high school dating.

Emojis don’t speak louder than words. Imagine that you text someone, “I love you,” and they respond with an emoji. No matter what that emoji is, you have to know they don’t love you back. Yes, there are a few very creative emoji love stories out there, but cute micro-images generally aren’t nearly as versatile as written words. If you want to tell someone how you feel, emojis are not the way to go.

Don’t stay with someone who puts you down or belittles you. You can’t determine your love off of the way someone treats you if they always act like they are upset with you. Don’t stay with someone who doesn’t hold much regard for your feelings. In the end it will just feel lonely, and if you feel lonely you’re better off being alone. It’s important to know when to walk away.

Remember that nothing lasts forever. This doesn’t have to be a sad thing at all. Just know that since nothing lasts forever, you should enjoy the time you do have together. Live it up, laugh it off, and take some chances, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Have some confidence. You can’t expect someone to love you if you don’t love yourself already. If you want to start talking to someone, have some confidence and go up to them. But remember, confidence isn’t thinking, “I know they totally like me.” Confidence is knowing you’ll be okay, whether they like you or not.

Just because you like someone in a friendship does not mean you like them in a relationship. Being friends with someone you like can be frustrating, but there are very valid reasons why you should shut down your romantic feelings. Because most high school friendships are stronger and last longer than romantic relationships, it’s important to be careful when making these judgments. Dating a friend can ruin your friendship if it doesn’t go well, so be cautious and always weigh your feelings with care before entering into a relationship with someone.

Always be honest. Keep no secrets, tell no lies. The quicker you can settle your issues, the happier and more secure you’ll be in your relationship. It’s incredibly important to maintain your privacy and personal space in a relationship, but you have to learn to balance that with allowing yourself to open up to another person.

Although these tips are here to help you with your relationship, don’t feel bad if you end up breaking up with someone you thought you’d be with forever. There are a multitude of other people out there for you. There will always be someone with whom you can spend time and build a strong, healthy relationship in the future. And it will only be a matter of time until that happens for you.