Saving yourself for marriage is fair play to those that can do so and have a successful marriage.

But it’s beneficial to enter a marriage knowing that you’ve experienced a range of situations, had your heart broken a few times, maybe dumped a few people… Otherwise, how else will you know what you truly need from a partner, and what you can give them in return?

Here are the six types of relationship you need to have experienced before you even consider marriage.

• The long-distance relationship: Long distance relationships can happen in a range of circumstances. Maybe you’ve had to move away for a new job, perhaps you met online and you need to see if you’re going to work out before one of you moves closer to the other… LDR tests your trust levels – you’re being trusted not to see anyone else, and the same goes for them. It increases your communication skills – if there are any issues, you need to be able to talk to your partner openly and honestly in order to iron them out. It makes you appreciate the other person more – yes, you miss them every day, but it just makes seeing them in person so much better.

• The Tinder relationship: Selling yourself in a few short paragraphs online isn’t easy – but give it a go. You’ll actually end up getting to know each other, and before you know it, one of you have blurted out ‘So do you want to get a drink sometime?’ The date has been set, you tell your friend where you’ll be, and tell them to call the police if you don’t message them after an hour. Fortunately, your date is exactly who they said they were. You have decent chat, one thing leads to another, and you end up going back to their place. After that, the chat may fizzle out, you could meet up once or twice more, or you could end up meeting your fiance through the app – however it turns out, meeting someone through Tinder should definitely be experienced.

• The friends with benefits relationship: It’s the sort of relationship you just… fall into, without thinking about it. There are a few things that could happen after you’ve done the deed with your friend. You could act like it never happened – continue to be friends, with nothing else going on. However, you may have discovered you liked what happened – and so it ends up happening again. This could progress into a relationship after a while, as you both figure you may as well make it official. Or, if one of you catches feels and the other doesn’t, the friendship may fade away, too. These are the scenarios – pursue them at your own risk. But definitely take that risk at some point.

• The one night stand: It’s good for you to have at least one time in your life where you’re in a club and your eyes meet with the guy or girl across the room. You don’t know who they are. You don’t ask them their name. Somehow, you end up in the back of a taxi. Then you fall into their bedroom. The next morning, you turn over, realise you don’t recognise the bedsheets you’re sleeping in, and see a stranger snoring next to you, your outfit lying discarded on the floor. You sneak out of the room, order a cab, and smile to yourself.

• The colleague/housemate: There’s a spark. It’s convenient. They’re just…there, you know? It works. Whether you just slip down to the pub after work or sidle into their room of an evening, it’s not that hard to stumble into a casual relationship with someone you see most days of the week – and the arrangement couldn’t be simpler. Problems may arise if the relationship ends on bad terms, though.

• The older man/woman: There are many things you can learn from having an older man or woman around. Not only can they provide you with a wiser perspective on a range of topics, from wine to literature, they’ve also got more experience in the bedroom, so they could probably teach you a thing or two.

Warning: You are solely responsible for your actions!
Adapted.