Gen Zs who are 2020 Covid HS Grads and 2024 College Grads - "I'm engaged" Trend

[Anonymous]

Good for them if so. After watching the prior generation struggle with late 30s fertility it would do them well to aim to find relationships earlier.

[Anonymous]

It's safer and better to have the last baby before 34 as that is geriatric pregnancy

[Anonymous]

I graduated in 2010 from a non religious school and had a few friends who were engaged at college graduation, some who married before the end of college. All still married.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which university? I’m sure that is a factor.

A "liberal" liberal arts medium size school in VA.

Lots of engagements around graduation or the year after has always been a thing at UVA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Come back to this post in 10 years and see how many marriages held together.

The divorce rate of college graduates is significantly lower than overall, regardless of age at marriage.

[Anonymous]

I've noticed a younger marrying trend for college graduates since before the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

There are usually two waves: one within 2 years after college and one around 30.

[Anonymous]

I don't think getting engaged to a college sweetheart is new or strange. I married mine several years after college and it's been great.

I did have a couple of college roommates who felt strongly that they needed to get married immediately after college because their parents' religious beliefs said that they couldn't live together unless married and that singe women had to live with their parents. These quick and forced marriages were all disasters and ended in divorce, despite the folks involved having more traditional beliefs.

Those with more normal views re engagement and marriage, without things being forced, all seemed to work out fine.

[Anonymous]

I had friends get engaged in college. Both are divorced, but they would have gotten divorced at any age. Both were very unhealthy emotionally, and one got married because she got pregnant.

Having had two geriatric pregnancies, Is encourage younger women to marry when they find the right man and get pregnant as soon as they feel ready. I had to wait because I didn’t find the right man until later, and I’m glad I did. My friends who delayed pregnancy for financial or personal reasons then spent $$$ on IVF. They’ve all expressed how awful IVF was. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Great discussion. Again...nothing wrong with DD and her SO (only 2 yrs older) being together and some day getting engaged. Mind you...both are still living at home to save money. SO did move out but HCL in our area....decided to move back with parents to save money and currently looking to start own business with money saved.

I just think there should be focus on starting new job/career for at least 1-2 yrs for anyone just out of college..at that point you'd still only be 23-24. Same for SO...focus on startup business for 1-2 yrs.
I see getting engaged as a distraction more than anything.

I have no issue with DD moving out on her own or with SO prior but DD is teacher in NOVA...smart to live at home...told DD she is welcome to stay at home 6-12 months to save $. I don't believe in kicking kids out right away....especially if living in NOVA....however, I don't expect them to be living at home in say 4-5 yrs either.

[Anonymous]

Good luck with that, kids. Lots of people in my college got engaged in college, but 95% of them didn't make it to the altar. The guy/woman that you think is perfect in college suddenly becomes the Wrong One when you both get out and start dealing with the real world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had friends get engaged in college. Both are divorced, but they would have gotten divorced at any age. Both were very unhealthy emotionally, and one got married because she got pregnant.

Having had two geriatric pregnancies, Is encourage younger women to marry when they find the right man and get pregnant as soon as they feel ready. I had to wait because I didn’t find the right man until later, and I’m glad I did. My friends who delayed pregnancy for financial or personal reasons then spent $$$ on IVF. They’ve all expressed how awful IVF was. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

OP here. I married at 25...waited 3 yrs before thinking about having kids...don't regret because I feel newlyweds need alone time before kids (especially if they didn't live together prior or only met after college like I did). I was only 28 but still had fertility issues. Twins born just before turning 31.

I honestly see DD married around same time I was...she won't need the 3 yrs married alone time though as they are HS/College sweethearts and have traveled already and done much together. So probably starting a family right after marriage.

My post was mainly to see if this is a trend and if so, is it tied in any way to the pandemic yrs? A generation knowing how quickly life can change and how precious life is....to live in the moment more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good luck with that, kids. Lots of people in my college got engaged in college, but 95% of them didn't make it to the altar. The guy/woman that you think is perfect in college suddenly becomes the Wrong One when you both get out and start dealing with the real world.

Another reason to focus on job/career for at least 1 year post graduation....just continue to date.

[Anonymous]

For both my children, there was a wave that got engaged just after graduation. One was college class of 2019 and one was college class of 2021. There didn’t seem to be a difference the 2019 class that was definitely pre-Covid and the 2021 class that experienced Covid at college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD graduated college this year and is on her way with a promising career as a Learning Disability Teacher. She and her boyfriend have been seriously dating for over 4 years. He's a great young man and we do love him. But after college graduation DD started floating the idea of getting engaged....stating that she knew many friends (both young women and men) who got engaged right after graduation.

My DD tells me that her generation is getting engaged/married younger - making it sound like a trend. I'm in the "you are too young to get engaged, let alone married" mainly because I feel she should focus on her career first without distractions of an "engagement".
I would give the same advice to any young man or woman just graduating college. But DD continues to show me posts from friends happily stating "I'm engaged"! Admittedly, on the university's parent FB page I did see a few posts of "happily engaged" right after graduation.

But I am wondering....is anyone else is seeing a "trend" of this generation getting engaged/married younger?

I wonder if this is a result of those being greatly affected by the "pandemic years" -- they lost key milestones from senior year in 2020 and then again their first year of college....all while seeing the devastating deaths on a daily basis via social media/news outlets.

Not seeing that with my 20 year old and any of his friends or acquaintances.

I don’t think it’s a Gen Z trend.

We are talking 22 yr olds.