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Making a serious relationship commitment while in college can mean anything from promising to remain monogamous to saying “I love you.” For some, it means much more than that: getting married.

Maintaining a long-term relationship in college can be difficult to say the least. With the abundance of parties, opportunities to meet new people and chances to grow as a person, it’s not easy to preserve a long-term commitment. However, some couples put aside all outside influences and choose to take the ultimate vow.

For couples who are certain they’ve found “the one,” the decision to get married becomes the obvious next step in declaring their love for one another.

Recent Point Loma Nazarene University alumna Katelyn Jones married her boyfriend the summer before her senior year of college.

“The day we started dating we knew we were going to get married,” Jones said. “I never planned on getting married while in college but we both felt ready and didn’t see the need to wait until after college.”

Jones and her husband Josiah were together for about a year and a half before they were married in May of last year. After returning from their honeymoon, they moved in together and finished their last year of college. Although things did change, such as living off-campus for the first time and together, Jones felt because they were married there was less pressure to try to balance all of her time between work, school and seeing Josiah.

“I don’t feel like I missed out on anything, I made a conscious effort to meet up with my friends as much as possible and have them over,” she said.

While her husband’s parents were extremely supportive, Jones admits that it took a bit of time for her parents to warm up to the idea, but they were eventually thrilled and supportive of her decision.

Planning a wedding is a huge task that can be more than overwhelming at times, but Jones claims she enjoyed the planning process and tried to stay organized while balancing school and work.

Many schools offer benefits and support for students who have decided to make that ultimate commitment with housing options for married couples. UCSD has multiple housing alternatives for married students and those who are in committed relationships. Referred to as the Associated Residential Community Housing, three separate housing options are available for graduate and professional students as well as undergraduates in committed relationships. The unfurnished apartments vary in size and room number, but allow students to start their married lives together while living in close proximity to campus and finishing their degrees.

However, saying “I do” isn’t for everyone, and many college students believe marriage and engagements are better left for after graduation.

“I wouldn’t consider getting married in college,” finance and economics junior Derek Pires said. “Maybe engaged if it was long-term, but you should get your life together before you try and be dependent with someone else.”

For the non-commitment type, being married while in college couldn’t be farther down on their list of priorities.

“I think you should wait until you’re out of college because you haven’t experienced real life outside of school yet,” pre-nursing sophomore Alan Yanaga said. “There’s so many things you should be focusing on besides wedding and marriages.”

Students who don’t see the rush in getting married have a difficult time understanding why couples choose to get married before they’ve finished their degrees.

The pressures of college combined with married life may be overwhelming for college newlyweds, but there is support available. The San Diego State Counseling and Psychological Services Office, located in Calpulli Center, offers couples counseling that can help students navigate through the stresses and responsibilities of serious, long-term relationships.

The U.S. Department of Education also offers financial assistance with grants and loans for independent married couples, which they can receive by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

For students who are considering making that lifelong commitment, it is vital to make sure to thoroughly consider the decision.

“It’s not for everyone,” Jones said. “You have to make a lot of sacrifices and work harder than other students. Really think about it and make sure that you can make it financially and that you are responsible enough. I had such a positive experience though that I can’t imagine doing it any differently.”