How do you feel about people getting married young?

[Lizerd]

IMPORTANT: I totally DO NOT MEAN child marriages. Everyone here is 18 at this point. I'm talking about like 18-21.

How do you guys feel about young marriages, like literally out of high school or in college? I know some people don't feel that it'll last but others think high school sweethearts will stay together forever. Some young couples do it for the government benefits of being a poor college couple, and some are just impulsive and don't know what they want. I want to know everyone else's opinion and maybe some stories and share a story I'm currently WTFing at right now.

Even though I completely detached myself from my high school my senior year, I still used Facebook to keep up to date on people I know and general high school drama. Graduation was officially May 23rd, and now we are officially high schol graduates. Since then, two couples have gotten engaged, and one got married (tiny wedding before he ships off in the navy or something).
I'm just like ????????
I've known these people since elementary school pretty much, and one of them basically my whole life. Navy couple girl is totally impulsive, and goes after everything that isn't hers. She spent much of her high school career scooping up ex boyfriends of her friends and then wondering why she lost a friend - her husband is one of those conquests. I'm pretty sure that marriage is doomed for divorce - but who knows, they're both terrible people, they might be perfect.
The other couple I kinda understand, as he's from a Muslim family (though they aren't super religious and controlling) and she has a lot of family issues. They're both great people, and were my best friends at points, but for reasons we just kinda stopped talking. I think they'll actually stay together, they're fantastic for each other and I support them wholeheartedly.

It just feels surreal to me that these people are getting married and we literally just graduated high school. They haven't even been together that long, and it kinda makes me feel weird, too. I've been with my boyfriend for 3+ yrs, and we live together now, but aren't married, and these people that have been together less than a year are marrying off and being adults.
{I know I've been in college the past year but please don't make me adult yet I'm not ready D:}

[Andymac106]

So I personally graduated high school a little over a year ago. There was a couple who I graduated with who married directly out of the gate. From a financial standpoint, I have no idea how they're doing - neither of them went to college. But from an emotional standpoint, it looks as though they're both doing completely amazing. They seem so happy, in pictures and in person.

In my opinion, marriage is a very sacred thing, bond between two people who love each other dearly. Now, if two people are very happy together and can see themselves being together until the end of time, I believe it is their choice to make. Who am I to impose my opinion on their happiness? That being said, I'm 19. I'm not ready for marriage. I've got my whole single life ahead of me. Now, could they have been ready? Certainly. Will they last? Who knows. But its their choice, and if someone wants to marry young because they're so deeply infatuated with someone, by all means, go for it. The heart wants what the heart wants - I just hope they've made their decision with their hearts and brains, without any influence of the wrong head thinking

[Pusheen]

It's weird.

I made a thread a year ago or something here, asking if it was normal to get married that young in the USA.
In Chile at least, is very unheard of and the cases in which 18-21 y/o people get married now a days are almost non existent. Even at 25-27 is not common. I'm almost 24 and if you ask me, nobody around me (close friends or just known people) are even thinking about marriage, and if you ask, most people would tell you they want that for their late 20's or early 30's.

But I see it being so common in some places of the USA... and finding divorced people at 24 is not weird there.

[Andymac106]

It's weird.

I made a thread a year ago or something here, asking if it was normal to get married that young in the USA.
In Chile at least, is very unheard of and the cases in which 18-21 y/o people get married now a days are almost non existent. Even at 25-27 is not common. I'm almost 24 and if you ask me, nobody around me (close friends or just known people) are even thinking about marriage, and if you ask, most people would tell you they want that for their late 20's or early 30's.

But I see it being so common in some places of the USA... and finding divorced people at 24 is not weird there.

I live in the US and I had a 22 year old in one of my college classes who had been divorced twice already...So you're not wrong at all about that point

[ohfyk1]

Need to try more flavours before you get married, or you will always be curious and end up trying them out either while your married or when you get divorced a few years later. IMO

[Oblivious]

Your twenties are the most important time of you life in my opinion, if you get married and settle down before having really experienced life then, I really feel sorry for you.

[unknowable]

Marrying young is weird. That's one of the reasons why I dumped my 40 year old boyfriend. Because he wanted to get married NAO and I was only 20 at the time. Oh, and he'd feel me up in broad daylight in his SUV..

[kat.]

Your twenties are the most important time of you life in my opinion, if you get married and settle down before having really experienced life then, I really feel sorry for you.

I think you are disregarding different personality types. Sure, some people might need to be alone and free to feel like they are "experiencing life".. But many people are perfectly happy experiencing life with their best friend beside them.

I've been with my boyfriend since I was 20, and I am now 24. I feel like I am having a perfectly fine time "experiencing life", regardless of the fact that I am basically married to my best friend.

I'm excited to get married and have kids. Shame on me, right? (not implying it is coming soon, just something I am looking forward to)

[kittyray]

A lot of the people I know who got married while still in college were pretty religious and then know one couple who did it because`he was military.
I graduated high school in '09 and so many of my classmates have gotten officially engaged the past year. It seems wild. I mean, my girlfriend and I are very serious about eventually getting married, but we probably won't get engaged for another few years. We both want to feel more settled with life. Also, we're open/poly, so there's less of the pressure of feeling like you're committed to solely one person for the rest of your life.

[Aura]

I'm graduating next month from high school, and I think that, if anyone were to get married straight out of high school, I would usually regard it as odd. Teenagers and young adults even are still growing and constantly changing. It is not unusual for early wedders to break up because of that reason. In my opinion, I would wait a few years out of high school, at least. Marriage is a life-long commitment, and you definitely want to grow with your partner and truly discover if you two are meant to be, rather than face issues in the road. Issues of which high schoolers don't usually face, like paying mortgage/rent, getting a real job, starting a family, etc.
One of my best friends has a boyfriend she has been with for like three years. They're madly in love and I do suspect that they'll get married shortly after high school, but even to them I'd suggest waiting. It's better to wait than to land yourself in a mess in the future.