Everyone says not to continue dating your high school boyfriend when you go to college.

“But we’re in love,” I protested. “He wouldn’t just dump me after two years together.”

Silly me.

He ended things over spring break, the day I went shopping for a dress to go to his prom and took him out to an expensive dinner. Yeah, that sucked.

To be fair, I’m beginning to understand that our relationship had gotten to a point where neither of us were mature enough to handle it. It also didn’t help that he’s going to a college down south next year.

It seemed like everyone else knew it was going to happen, too, and no one had the balls to tell me — except my very honest roommate.

I used to look at my older siblings whose hearts had been broken. One of my sisters moved to Cleveland for someone who left her immediately after she got there. She was completely alone in a city where she knew no one. One of my brothers dated a girl for six years, and then one day, she cheated on him with one of his friends.

I told myself that it wouldn’t happen to me because for the majority of my two-year relationship, we were incredibly happy. In the end, though, the distance did us in, as it does with so many couples.

As much as I wanted to hold on, and still do, I know things are better this way. We grew apart, plain and simple.

I spent the rest of my spring break on my couch cuddling with my cat, watching Disney movies (with his Netflix account) and crying more than anyone has a right to.

I knew I needed to take the time to be miserable, it’s part of the grieving process. I looked at all the pictures we had together and cried until my head hurt.

Coming back to MSU was rough at first. The last thing I wanted to do was go to class, work or be around people who had fun on their spring breaks — how dare they — and were inevitably going to ask about mine. Oh, you went to Cancún? Yeah, I sat on my couch and watched The Fox and the Hound for three days straight.

As the days have sluggishly passed by, being at MSU has given me a million reasons to keep my head up.

First off, my job. If I weren’t writing these columns, I would be spending my free time listening to “Breakeven” by The Script and sobbing into a pint of the new Ben & Jerry’s Cores ice cream. 

Having something to do has given me purpose, and reading some of the emails and comments on these columns has kept me entertained.

I’m surrounded by friends who don’t mind hanging out until 3 a.m. and can make me smile even after I checked my ex’s social media accounts, a bad habit I’m trying to break.

And how can I be upset after Branden Dawson’s windmill dunk against Michigan in the Big Ten championship game? It still gives me the chills.

I’m not going to say my life could be worse, but I really don’t have it that bad. Someone told me once that if we all threw our problems into a pile and could take anyone else’s problems, kind of like the Cornucopia in Hunger Games, we’d still grab our own. I know I would.

I have a lot going for me. I go to an amazing school, I have my health, I’m not too shabby-looking, I have a family who loves me and friends I wouldn’t trade even for a date with Connor Cook. But Connor, if by some chance you’re reading this, I’m single. Wink.

As much as it hurts right now, there really isn’t a better time or place to be single. I’ve got three years at MSU ahead of me without the commitments of a long-term relationship. I can focus on making friends instead of fixing a broken relationship, and doing study abroad for a summer won’t be a problem anymore.

I don’t see myself dating again for a while because I want to spend time on myself, but with about 20,000 guys on this campus, I’m sure someone’s bound to be taller than me and think I’m cute at the same time.

Emily Jenks is a State News reporter. Reach her at ejenks@statenews.com.