In less than a week I'll be graduating. And instead of getting a job, getting a bachelor pad and venturing out into the world by myself, I'll be getting married and going to live on a kibbutz in Israel for three months.

Call me crazy-you wouldn't be alone. Since my engagement, I've had numerous conversations in which my peers react with shock. Most likely this is because of my age; the U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2011 that on average, men and women in the United States are first married when they are 28.9 and 26.9 years old, respectively.
I am a mere 23.

Additionally, popular culture idealizes the bachelor and bachelorette lifestyles. Numerous television series and movies depict the exciting lives of those who are single, as if to suggest that these are the prime years of someone's life. We label marriage as "settling down" and "taking the plunge," as if to suggest that the vigor of life is sucked from a person when they choose to be married.

Society dictates certain prerequisites for marriage, most notably a stable income and a certain degree of life experience. I meet neither one of these expectations.

Notwithstanding society's disapproval, I still intend to move forward with my plans.
These days, we hear a lot about how people are pro-life, pro-choice, pro-guns, pro-Israel and much more. Simply put, I am pro-marriage. Numerous psychological studies have cited the physical and mental health benefits of married life. Married couples live longer, and are overall happier people. And while few may disagree with my pro-marriage stance, many may say that the benefits of marriage should be reaped only when we are "ready." My answer? If marriage is so beneficial, why not commit sooner? Simply put, if there is so much good to be had from a marriage, tying the knot should be a no-brainer.

One may claim that "moving in" is a necessary, multi-year prerequisite for marriage.
But studies have shown non-married couples that live with one another do a poor job of simulating the positive effects of marriage. In fact, a New York Times article published last April detailed the "downside of cohabiting before marriage."

Moreover, definitions of what it means to be "ready" for marriage are totally dependent on society. For instance, if I lived in Chad, Niger or Nepal my plans for marriage would be normal for my age. And the average man who is married in the United States is still very young by Swedish and Danish standards-where men are married in their mid-30s.

More significant than any psychological or sociological evidence, however, is the simple reality that I want to get married. Putting aside any societal objection to my plans, my own personal desire trumps all else.

The unfortunate truth is that far too often we make choices based on precedent, ignoring crucial realities. Whether the reality is the benefits of marriage, or more importantly the reality of what we want as individuals, our decisions are often framed around how they will appear to others. In the United States, our societal standard puts a premium on a clear and rigid trajectory, emphasizing the importance of upward mobility. We choose to live the expected life, abiding by a script that has been written for us by common practice.

I'd like to think that we could do better than this. If I've learned or gained anything from my time here at Brandeis, it's the firm belief that our choices should be made based on what we want, not on what others expect. The principle seems simple, yet a staggering number of college students are increasingly choosing majors, professions and lifestyles that they do not actually desire. As an example, statistics show that the business major is one of the most popular fields of study nationwide. Yet I would wager that a significant number of students do not actually enjoy the study of business.

Marriage may not be everyone's cup of tea. And I understand how my decision to get married would be frightening to some. What's important, though, is for students to be able to confidently claim that they are pursuing what matters to them. In fact, this is all that should matter.
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