I went to college to get my degree, not to find a husband. During my freshman year, I was surprised to learn that many of my female peers were borderline obsessed with the idea of getting married. You go to college to get an education, land a good job, get into your dream career, and hopefully be in a position where you’re able to support and take care of yourself, right? At least that’s what I thought going to school was all about. After declining an invitation to try on wedding dresses for fun one weekend, word got out that I was never getting married. More specifically, that I didn’t want to. To be clear, I never said that. I just didn’t want to go. I thought trying on wedding dressings for “fun” was odd. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to get married, I believe it’s important to know that marriage isn’t everything and it’s not for everyone. If you don’t believe me, I highly recommend talking to some seasoned married couples who will tell you the truth. It was once a dream of mine in my twenties (largely in part due to years of brainwashing and high expectations built by being raised in church and growing up super-duper Christian), but then I woke up when I realized that God doesn’t come through for everyone in that area. Anyways, I was enrolled in school for something more than an MRS degree. I barely even knew who I was back then. And I wasn’t mature, wise, or evolved enough to consider being someone’s wife. I was still a kid. And so were the other young women I went to school with. Throughout college, I thought something was wrong with me because all I wanted to do was go to school, graduate, and be able to take care of myself. With or without a guy by my side. I wasn’t in lectures daydreaming about a proposal, a dress, or bridesmaids. I think it’s telling that a lot of the girls I went to school with were more preoccupied with thoughts of weddings and marriage instead of figuring out what kind of women they wanted to be on their own first.
I know I’ve always wanted to be successful. During school, I couldn’t stop thinking about writing opportunities, traveling the world, and what kind of décor I’d pick out for my own office. I got excited thinking about achieving financial security and how cool it was going to be to furnish my own home. I knew a handful of different young women who were getting engaged and married during college, some who dropped out after getting married and regretted it – (ladies, never quit school for a guy), some who were divorcing, and others who wish they would have waited to marry much later in life. To this day, there are still a lot of young women who head off to college with the goal to meet a guy. Success to them means having a wedding and settling down. And if that’s what some women want, that’s okay, I guess. But it’s also okay to want something more for yourself too. A degree can take you places an engagement ring won’t.
While a degree isn't a necessity for everyone, I can testify to the fact that the time, sacrifice, and investment for one is worth it. Having an education can open a lot of different doors and opportunities for you, and it's something no one can ever take away from you. Plus, getting to explore this world on your own while being your own woman is a rewarding experience. You could still get married someday. But why not get your degree while you're at it? If you do get engaged or married and things don't work out, at least you'll have your degree to fall back on and be in a position to support yourself if needed. MRS might have a nice ring to it, but having a degree, marketable skills, and being a smart woman with options will take you far too.