Marriage in college: How young is too young

Natalie Barletta – Opinions Editor      

College is a time of self-discovery. It’s when you truly find yourself, who you are, and what your contribution to the world will be. For some, this is a time of complete change when you shed your high school persona to who you really are. The world is at your feet, and there is so much opportunity up in the air. You’re like tumbleweed when you’re young, because you are floating around in the wind and trying to figure out where you’re going to land. You don’t want to make your life in a commitment that will tie you down forever.

Have you ever heard of the phrase “too young to fall in love?” However, sometimes the phrase is ignored. But, the question is how young is too young to fall in love? Or, how young is too young for one to get married?

In the previous generation, it was common to get married in the late teens and early twenties. That is the demographic in which most of us currently fall in. However, now if someone said, “I want to get married before 30” then you would often say that it was too young to get married, and look at them like they have  three heads. At the same time, shows like ’19 Kids and Counting’ show their children who are in their early twenties getting married and even pregnant with their first child.

I have a friend who says the 20’s is for exploration, the 30’s is for settling down, and the 40s are for the kids. According to Pew research, the prime age group for marriage is ages 25-34. That’s usually when you begin your first ‘big’ job in your chosen field, you’re leaving behind the classroom, and you’re a full-blown adult.

However, the website also states that 29.6 out of 1,000 students ages 8-24 were getting married. This is the age of undergraduate and graduate studies, which is the point where most of us are at now. This is when you find the career path that you want to take, get the education that you need to get there, and explore the world. Why would you get married now, if you were in the stage of self-discovery?

I didn't mean no one should get married really young, I just meant in my personal experience it's best to wait until you're a bit older.

— Little Bride Diaries (@LittleBrideLife) September 14, 2014

Well, marriage standards depend on the person. For example the Duggars think that it’s alright to get married at 21, while if you asked a person going to college classes they would say that it was way too young.

There are many reasons why one would get married at a young age, such as teen pregnancy, or cultural reasons. For example, the Albanian culture tends to get married younger in age than someone who’s not Albanian.

It’s something that depends on the person, and age shouldn’t be a factor to determine where or when you get married. It should be a factor on how mature you are, and how you feel about the other person. Being married in college, or just being married in general, is something isn’t an easy task. It’s a commitment, which is why many often opt for the commitment later on in life.

I personally think marriage is something that should be individualized. Although myself am nowhere near the time in my life when I am ready to make that commitment, I do know people that are ready for it or have already made that commitment.

This sort of commitment is something that doesn’t depend on the age of the people that are involved, but rather what the couple decides is best for them. For some, it might be 19. For others, it might 29. Whether you’re in college, or in the corporate world, I say if you’re ready for the commitment, then you should go for it.

Photo Credit: Nathan Congleton