The famed summer fling is both a menace and an enticing offer. For 3 months, while the sun shines on your suburban town, you can fall in love with someone who you might just get a chance to see every day. Schedules are more relaxed, the beach is always open and curfew is often extended. So, why do these relationships crash and burn (more often than not)? It’s simply science.

Natural sunlight causes a release in feel good hormones like dopamine and serotonin, as well as an increase in metabolism speed–potentially increasing self-confidence and body image. As schedules become less packed with extracurriculars, it gives us all the time to relax and open up to the possibility of adding another human into the mix. All these happy emotions and decrease in time constraints lead to going out more, meeting more folks in the same content mindset, and potentially meeting a summer fling.

(What could go wrong?)

Often, when we dive into new relationships, our expectations of where it will lead skyrocket out of reality. The pure bliss you experience during a summer fling is simply situational, and that should be kept in mind when entering one. Having a partner to do every fun summer activity is a great offer; and even though the relationships don’t often last into the school year, if one protect’s their heart and manages their expectations, the summer fling could end peacefully when its time has come.

Morgan Dabran comments,”Summer flings aren’t meant to last, just for temporary happiness.”

Because many of us seniors are leaving for college, the summer-fling-falling-out-of-love thing will plague many of us. But, however, if one manages their expectations and doesn’t attach themselves to this temporary feeling, a good friend can be gained at the very least.