It seems that once the snows starts to melt and graduation can’t come fast enough for seniors, people go wedding crazy. As tulips and daffodils pop up, so do the proposals and plans for the big day. As soon as the graduation hat is thrown, you are supposed to settle down and have that family — or at least it seems that way.

Maybe it’s just a Midwest thing, but there seems to be some push to indicate that marriage is the next thing after graduation. Not years after graduation, but months. We have the Wedding Expo at Iowa State, and at the Daily we have the wedding announcements and special sections dedicated to “planning your perfect day” — why you would want your first day of marriage to be the best day is beyond me. There is this idea that you are supposed to get married after college, even though many students will tell you that isn’t on their mind.

I am all for letting anyone who wants to get married do so, but why is there such a push to get married as soon as the diploma is hung up on the wall? Marriage is a good thing, and I hope to be married one day, but it’s a big decision with life-altering outcomes.

Part of the issue is we are conditioned to move on to the next big thing: high school, then college, and after college you are supposed to land a job, start a family and join the adult world. With help from some parental nagging and horror stories of being 40 and unmarried, it’s no wonder that some students are all ready for the next step in life.

There are two approaches to this issue. There is the saying, “If you know it’s true love, why wait?” Then there’s the question, “When you know it’s true love why hurry?”

I tend to lean toward the second train of thought. 43 percent of marriages break up within 15 years, according to data from the National Survey of Family Growth. That gives you almost a 50/50 shot that you will stay together — something to keep in mind before slipping the ring on the finger. If you wait, you have a better chance of figuring out if it is what you want, rather than rushing into things and being unhappy.

Research has shown that a college degree helps lower the chances of getting a divorce, compared to just a high school diploma. But overall, young couples have the highest rate of divorce, which drops off when couples are in their late 20s. Psychologists say one reason for this is that our brains are still forming into our adult selves and figuring out who we are, even after college is over.

Finishing college is stressful enough with trying to find a job, a place to live other than your parent’s couch and figuring out how to survive in the so called “real world.” It’s a transitional period where you are, as I am told, freaking about what you are going to do with your life. Why would you want to add the stress of planning a wedding and figuring out how to live as a married couple?

While I highly doubt many college students are able to pay for a multimillion-dollar wedding, why would you want to add to the probable thousands in student loans you already have, by having your big dream wedding right off the bat?

Why not get your feet wet at your job, and save up some money and start paying back loans? Of course, I don’t suggest waiting until you pay them entirely back, because you might be dead before then. But why should you add the stress of planning a wedding while getting situated in a new job or during your last year of college, which is stressful enough?

Even if you aren’t going for the big, sparkly, overdone wedding, there is still a lot to think about. Instead of dealing with yourself, you have another person with his or her own goals and dreams, too. Two people to move together, find jobs in the same area, and get over the transitional period that the post-college days will bring.

Also, financial stability, something that comes with being situated in a good job, helps lower divorce rates, too. It’s not impossible to transition straight from college to marriage, but there are more struggles to be had.

It’s not just me talking; a lot of couples are waiting. In 2008, the median age for marriage was roughly 26 for women and almost 28 for men according to the U.S. Census , making it apparent that there really is no rush to get married.

I am not saying never ever get married, nor do I think there is ever a perfect time for marriage. Just think about it and be aware of the possible problems before the “I dos.” You have forever; there’s no rush, despite what grandma thinks.