You lose the stresses of school, but you then have the stress of finding/starting a new job, having to support yourself (if your parents have been providing that during school) and of life in general. It's a matter of how you are equipped to handle stress.

Unfortunately, there will always be some kind of stress in our lives. The better the job, the more stress there is to do well. The more money we make, the more stress there is to control our spending, to invest, to fulfill our needs. Kids? We have the stress of caring for them, ensuring their needs are met and they have the tools to grow up to be well adjusted adults.

Using my sister as an example (because I am not one) she is married to a wonderful man, has 3 great children and is a senior director in one of the world's largest banks. She married while still in grad school, but waited to have children until after she completed grad school and was established in her then job.

She is a wonderful wife, but like all couples, they have their problems. She worries about her children - are their physical/emotional/educational/social needs being met. She's very involved in her children's schooling - all 3 are high honors. She talks to their teachers about their progress, to their principal about the direction the school is taking (it's a small Catholic school), and is on the PTA.

She stresses about what her kids will do during their summer break. She doesn't let them sit around watching TV or playing video games.

She stresses about her kids health. One of my nephews is basically allergic to just about everything. Her older son (10) is starting puberty and is facing the hormones and emotions that come with it, is too smart for his grade so he gets bored and doesn't apply himself when it comes to getting his work done, but he somehow gets great grades. She is stressed because of my mental illnesses.

And although she is always constantly on the move, she has found her way to manage her stress. She sets aside time for herself, even if it's only a few moments, she prioritizes, she is a great organizer. Fortunately, she has the ability to have people help her. She hires a summer tutor so the kids retain what they learned and are ready for their next grade, she is able to send them to summer camps and she also employs a nanny/housekeeper to take care of her home and her kids when they are out of school.

She has been able to workout a schedule where she starts work early and is able to be home early so she has more time to spend with her children, but there are those times she has to stay late, has to travel or gets that call from one of her employees or her boss about something they need her help with.

She is what I would call "a health fanatic" preparing healthy meals for her family - no fast food for them - everything made fresh. She gladly invites family and friends into her home for a meal, to stay for the weekend.

I am in awe of her. I know how she does it, but I don't know "how" she does it. I can't do it - I would be overwhelmed. She is an amazing mother, wife, sister, friend and person. She has found a way to live a good life even with the stresses of her life, running at 110%.

All this, and she still struggled with some mental health problems, ones she was able to overcome.

Like my sister, it's all a matter of how we manage, what we set as our priorities. If we wait until there is no stress, until everything is perfect, we will never move from where we are.

Both you and your boyfriend need to be sure you're both ready for marriage. There are some pluses to marrying now. You have the constant support of each other. If you are living apart and paying your own way, there is the financial benefit of saving money.

But there are also the stresses of learning to live with someone - it's no longer just you. You have to learn to compromise where you may have not before. And while saving money by living together, there is usually the stress of how much money is coming in and how much is going out.

No matter what we do in our lives, we are always going to face some form of stress. Its all about - do we have the tools to manage it?