Stephanie Steiner | Arts & Life Editor

Many of us may think of college as a time for individual growth, but have you ever thought of it as a time to grow as a couple? For first year Dee Friesen, that’s what her college experience has been about thus far, as she has been married to Zac Friesen for four months now. Friesen is able to enjoy taking classes at Buena Vista University (BVU) during the day, but heads home two blocks away in the evening to be with her husband.

“The greatest thing is having an extra person to have confidence in you, believe in you, and push you when you feel like giving up. My husband has done college and has been through it so he helps me get through it,” Friesen said.

Dee is a new student on campus this semester. She was born and raised in a big city area in the outskirts of Denver, Colorado and went to a community college for a semester following high school. After that, she went to a missionary school where she met Zac. Through missionary school, Friesen was able to travel to Thailand and Cambodia and connect with children by sharing faith with them. After she and Zac had been friends for some time, they married and moved to Storm Lake where Zac has a job as the Logistics Control Manager at Harvest International.

It is difficult to get immersed in a new place, and Friesen has experienced that first hand as a commuter student who is also married in a new state she has never resided in. It is different than the life a traditional student lives because after a long day of classes, she still needs to return home to her responsibilities and be able to take time to spend with her husband in the midst of her homework.

“Being a new student and newly married are both life changing experiences, so at first, it was incredibly stressful and I didn’t know how to handle it. I’m learning two new things at once, but it’s getting easier,” Friesen said. “You have to manage time enough being in college, but then also being married, you have to make sure that you’re spending enough time with your spouse. As a wife, I’ve always felt really bad for not being able to come home and cook dinner because I have so much homework. Zac has been supportive and will cook dinner for me.”

Now that she is in the situation, she knows that many people rush into marriage and wants people to slow down and think about what they are doing before taking the commitment.

“Marriage is awesome and there are a lot of things you can learn from being married. But I would say definitely get to know someone before you marry them. When you know you love someone and you’re going to be with them for the rest of your life, you absolutely know,” Friesen said.

Graphic by Justice Gage