Stress with the Dress

Written by: Lauren Buser | Media by: Thomas Hajny

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While being young and in love is not socially recommended, it is believed to be a wise choice for your future.  Getting married in college can help your financial stability in the long run and can help you have a more stable relationship during your education.  But, do these statistics persuade couples to rush into a life commitment?

 

Financial Stability and Young Marriage

Many individuals agree that getting married at a young age can help with financial stability.  A woman by the name of Alicia Rades believes that one of the smartest decisions she ever made was getting married in college.  “The problem was that my college required freshmen and sophomores to live in the dorms unless under special conditions.  One of these was being married.”  After doing some research, Alicia realized, because they would be paying for only one apartment and not paying for a meal plan, they could cut their living expenses down by about half.  She and her husband were even more surprised when filling out their FAFSA for the following year.  Because they were independents, they were able to get more grant money, saving them from student loan debt.

Source: theatlantic.com

 

A Constant Companion to Get You Through 

“You’re with your best friend all the time, so it’s not like, oh my gosh, it’s a ball and chain now.  Yeah, college is stressful, but now you’re getting to share it officially with someone else,” states Peter Nesbitt, age 20, to CNN News.  Stephanie Steinberg, author of the article, “Saying ‘I do’ While Studying at the ‘U’” continues to state some statistical findings on married college students.  “Out of 20,928 undergraduates surveyed by the National Center for Education Statistics in 2008, about 18% reported they were married.”  So, is tying the knot the best way to go about your college experience?  “There are many factors that tie into marriage.  One of the biggest ones is maturity levels,” states Sean Anthony Washington, Cheerleading Coach at Greenville College, “if you have that, then I’d say it’s okay.  But, again it just depends because every situation is different.”

 

Some Opinions on the Matter

Kimberley Buser Image taken by: Lauren Buser
Kimberley Buser
Image taken by: Lauren Buser

“As a person who got married at the age of 17, and without having anything serious problems in our relationship, I still look to my children and say wait.  I don’t necessarily agree with people getting married young only because they tend to put their personal lives on hold, like their career choice and where it may take them,” states Kimberly Buser from Vergennes, Illinois.  She, however agrees with Mr. Washington and others saying that it depends very much on maturity and the couple’s situation.  Mrs. Buser continues to explain, “Life happens, and if you’re career choice takes you down a different path than your spouse’s, then you have the added stress of whether or not your marriage will survive.  So why rush marriage when it is such an important commitment?” Alicia Rades also believes that there needs to be more to a marriage than trying to save money.  She explains, “If you’re already well into your 20s, getting married to save money doesn’t make sense since you’ll be considered independent when you turn 24 no matter if you’re married or not.”

 

Both marriage and college are big commitments in life.  Deciding to get married while still in school may be a stressful decision, however, it may be a good one as well.  There are many factors, and ultimately, it is your situation, relationship, and opinions that will matter.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Hi Lauren,

    Thanks for quoting me. There’s not a day I regret getting married at a young age, but it was what was right for me and my husband. Not everyone is so fortunate. I admit the idea of saving money is alluring, but I believe you should do it for the right reasons. In the article you quote me on, the point I’m trying to make is that a lot of people put off marriage until after college because they think it’s some huge financial responsibility, but I found it to be the exact opposite.

    So you definitely shouldn’t be rushing into marriage to save money, but it is something worth considering if you already know you’re going to get married. Of course, there is the cost of the wedding to consider as well, and that’s something the couple would have to talk about.

    It’s all a personal decision, and not everyone is ready at such a young age to make that type of commitment. However, I’ve seen a lot of people who are, and it works out perfectly well for them, although I find most people who do well wait to have kids for a while. That gives them the time for each other (but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a successful relationship when you have kids young).

    • Thank you for clarifying. I Really enjoyed your outlook on this! Very well thought out, which is why I quoted you. I apologize for misinterpreting it as well. Thank you so much again!

  2. Great article Lauren.. Marriage is such a serious commitment and I feel strongly that so many young men and women these days take marriage lightly. Some people today don’t see that a marriage takes work and a willingness to work through issues instead of jumping straight to a separation or ultimately a divorce. I do not regret one moment of getting married young. It worked out perfectly for us. Looking back over the years at how God has shaped and molded us and how His hand was in all the moments, good, bad and ugly!! I can never see my life any different. Yes, maturity and values and where your going in your career and so on are all factors, as is the level of commitment the couple has for their upcoming marriage. Life definitely happens and in the end couples should both be willing to work through all the issues that arise instead of seeing a way out when the going gets tough. Marriage is ultimately one of life’s most important decisions.

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