Let’s be clear on this — meeting and marrying your high school sweetheart or your college crush and living happily ever after is a myth. Two reasons: couples grow apart and money issues overwhelm them.
I am always amused when “the best colleges” are published. Despite the glamour, here are two stories from Forbes that might have you holding off on marriage until you have some financial stability.
The first is about two young attorneys who met and married and have become “victims of an unfolding education hoax on the middle class that’s just as insidious, and nearly as sweeping, as the housing debacle.” Forbes.com/forbes/
The second is about common sense college choices. Keep in mind that oftentimes what you do with a degree is more important than where you attended school. (Yes, Ivy League may open doors, but if you can’t perform, you’re out the door, particularly in this overcrowded world of the overly-educated without jobs.) This is a sensible look at affordable colleges. FORBES /best-buys-colleges-opinions-value.html
If you do meet and marry at college, set some goals for yourself. And if you are paying for your own college tuition, as is the case with many young people today, pay off as much of the loan as possible before falling into debt.
Money issues are one of the biggest deal breakers in marriage. This like has articles are marriage and money: .Should you marry for money?
Here is more news that may have you thinking twice about marriage and college: Psychologist, Dr. LeslieBeth is doing research on women’s relationships in terms of meeting and marrying in college, this is what she has determined: “Many college students’ brains haven’t finished maturing yet,” she explains. “Unfortunately, many couples part because they feel as though they’ve grown apart. And they probably have. After all, they’ve likely hit their stride and focused their values, skills, interests and goals more clearly.” The+Pros+and+Cons+of+Marrying+Young
A word to the wise – find a college that meets your needs, pay off your debts, and take the notion of personal growth seriously.
Copyright 2009 Rita Watson