Dear Queenie,
My boyfriend and I have been going together for several years and plan to be married after we finish our education. I will be going away to school in the fall and he will follow at the end of the year.
I’ve been thinking we should get married now to be sure that being separated won’t break us up.
Queenie, do you think this is a good idea?—Uncertain
Dear Uncertain,
No, I don’t. You are still rather young to be considering a life-long commitment.
In addition, your schooling will make considerable demands on you for the next few years and being newlyweds would make considerable other demands that might conflict with your educational requirements.
Furthermore, both you and your boyfriend will probably do a lot of growing up and changing during the next few years at school. It is quite possible that one or both of you will develop new interests and become an entirely different person.
Better to stick to your original plan and wait until you finish your education before you start planning the wedding. If you still want to be married after you have graduated, I wish you all the best. On the other hand, if you find that your ideas about life together have changed, you will not be bound by marriage vows you have come to regret.
