Zimpapers Logo

Latwell Nyangu
Youth Interactive Writer

“Till death do us part”, has a powerful meaning.

And this can only have a meaning in real marriages.

Marriage was and is still considered a contract that only ends if death of either party occurs.

When this saying was written, it made this vow a life-long commitment to one’s partner only broken if someone dies. Sadly, this vow is being abused in some way by students. Most students are making this vow during the semesters and it ends after graduation.

At college ,it all seems to happen at once, especially the freedom, maybe that’s why students tend to enjoy it once.

Mostly it is the first time you don’t have a set schedule or a parent telling you what you can and cannot  do. At times you are trying to make friends while balancing with academics.

This week I am taking a stroll in most students’ fields.

As always I am a student, I interact with students and sometimes help them do this and that.

As a result, I will always write what I see. For  the record, this is not a new phenomenon that discussions have evolved around semester marriages or cohabitation. In 2022, I even wrote something about saying no to cohabitation fellow students.

Sometimes the advice falls on deaf ears, while some  do take heed.

But the wisemen say “akuruma nzeve ndewako” (the one who advises you, cares for you).

If you have a conversation with students over these issues, they will regard you redundant and outdated. Everything is justified for their benefit.

One thing that I understand about college life is that things are never always on a silver platter, unless you come from the rich man’s house.

In recent years, tertiary students have been engaging in  semester marriages, during which they stay together in rented rooms in order to cut costs. Sometimes, male students who are from well-to-do families target female students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

As soon as they fall in love the two lovebirds stay together as a couple.

This is not a permanent relationship but a ‘till graduation do us part’ contract. Rarely do these marriages of convenience survive.

They only lapse on graduation day since they will be “marriages of convenience” while at college.

We all agree that, over the past few years, the shortage of students’ accommodation has given the authorities hard times as student populations increased.

As a result, students at most of the country’s tertiary institutions have been forced into lodgings where they are charged exorbitant rentals by landlords.

In order to cut costs, both male and female students agree on these semester marriages for the duration of their studies. To be honest there are no guarantees in these semester marriages. One way or the other someone will cry foul, “pane anochema chete or pane anofa chete”.

We can’t deny that for university and college students, living together has become a norm.

They stay as a couple, having sexual relations before marriage.

Unbeknown to their parents and guardians, some students are living as couples, a conduct which we should despise.

These semester marriages have been associated with a number of problems including sexually transmitted infections, abortions, sexual abuse, violence and low academic performance, increased cost of medical care and unwanted pregnancies.

It has also been found out that cohabiting is mostly caused by lack of accommodation, problems with room mates and the need to be close and intimate with one’s lover. We all come from different backgrounds and we fight different demons.

Some are fighting the demons of poverty, while others will be fighting demons of drugs, promiscuity and so on.

But certainly, life as a student is not as rosy as it seems.

There are intense swirls of emotions, anxieties, excitement, fear, joy and all mixed together in one body.

Your journey to success will also depend on you knowing your potential and believing in it.

I am more concerned about these fellow students who are marrying during the course of a semester and divorced after the semester lapses.

They say, what happens at college should stay at college but such issues have to be known.

Of course when students turn into semester marriages, they typically do so due to various reasons such as the high cost of living, scarcity of accommodation, a desire for intimacy away from parental restrictions, and the need for financial support among others.

These “semester marriages” are essentially arrangements where students live together during semester periods, sharing responsibilities akin to a married couple.

While these arrangements may help students save money, they also come with significant negative consequences.

Some of these consequences include risks of unwanted pregnancies leading to potential health complications or disruptions in academic pursuits, potential engagement in criminal activities to sustain the relationship financially, emotional tolls on both partners leading to abuse or violence, and increased risks of sexually transmitted infections due to changing partners frequently. Fellow students, the monotony that can set in over time may lead to a loss of love and trust within the relationship, further impacting the mental and emotional well-being of those involved. Overall, while semester marriages may offer short-term benefits in terms of cutting costs, they pose serious risks and challenges that can have long-lasting effects on the individuals involved.

There is high cost in staying with someone. As I write this there are some students who hate to hear this while some students are even praying that accommodation should remain scarce so that they live-in as girlfriend and boyfriend.

Fellow students, there is nothing fashionable in semester marriages.

Until  we meet for a toast, avoid these unions.

Feedback: [email protected]