I have a friend that I grew up with in the ME…got married at 16 to a guy living in the US and moved here. Apart from the education, another obstacle she had to overcome was adapting to the life/culture in the US. Anyhow, she now has 3 sons…is in her 20’s…and has completed her bachelor’s degree in computer science.
I have a cousin who was and is very bright MashaAllah…she got married at the age of 18. Is in her 30s now and will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business soon.
So what do I think? I don’t look down on these girls…because I understand that some may even pursue their education later. What I do think…however…is that it’s not a path that I personally would have taken. When I look back to how I was at 18…I was a kid. I’m a big kid now…but I was an even bigger kid then. I wouldn’t have had the maturity to manage the responsibility of a marriage. Sometimes I think that girls who marry early might be missing out on that carefree time period of your teens and early twenties. I also feel grateful that I took care of my education while I was (and am) single. I say this…because my friends who got married before completing their college education have told me that it’s very difficult for them to go back to school and juggle the demands of a marriage (and children in some cases) with coursework.
And my cousin who got married at 18…she admits that it was tough for her. I have a friend who got married at 18…and although she loves her kids and husband very much…and although she managed to complete her college education after marriage…she wishes she had gotten married at a later age so that she could have gotten to KNOW herself better as an individual.
Everyone’s different. Some can handle it, some can’t. Usually, most people (whether they get married early or late) wish they had done things differently…human nature to be unsatisfied, lol. So, when I see such girls…I usually think…“Wow, if you do decide to go back to school, it’s going to tougher.”…and…“If you feel you can handle it, more power to you. But I think this it the time for you to enjoy being a carefree teenager.”…and…"I hope that your marriage is a successful one…because if things don’t work out, it’s tougher to support yourself without a degree."