Comments on: Senior Panic

By: TStevens

TStevens — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:57:42 +0000

I got married right after my mission while I was technically a freshman, even had the wife walking in graduation 8 months pregnant – so we were the opposite phenomenon at BYU, those who get married and have families ASAP. Anyways, I did through some very bad educational choices, have the opportunity to return to BYU and live in the single student apartments for a term while my wife and two kids remained back in the mid-west. The three guys I roomed with had all graduated and had good jobs, but chose to remain in single housing next to campus with the high hopes of getting a wife. There was a lot of sadness tinged with desperation with a couple of them, so I would definitely say it is a problem for men as well.

By: Sam B.

Sam B. — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:33:23 +0000

My parents probably experienced senior panic when first my sister, then I, then my other sister graduated from BYU unmarried. I never knew anyone who was graduating without getting married who was terribly worried, though, although I would be unsurprised to learn that some are.

By: Idahospud

Idahospud — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:46:57 +0000

I visited my friend, a freshman at BYU, in the spring of ‘88. Whilst occupying a stall in the ladies’ room, I heard a sobbing girl and her friend enter the room; said sobber choked out, “I’ve been here for over six months and I’m not even engaged yet!”

I don’t know what to call that kind of panic.

By: heramun

heramun — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:37:55 +0000

#38

Dude, if they were really eligible then they wouldn’t need a dating site.

By: BruceC

BruceC — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:24:04 +0000

I never felt the senior rush, even after knowing I was going to graduate from BYU single. Of course, I was one of the wierd guys who went on his mission after college (which I don’t recommend). Though the story is that if you do graduate single, you get a refund on your tuition. I’m still waiting for my check.

By: Randall

Randall — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:45:12 +0000

My brother and his wife were the unique BYU combination of “senior panic” and “dating your home teachee”. 14 years later, they’re still one of my favorite couples.

A far more virulent (though now less rare) dysfunction is RM Rush. It’s not quite as frenzied, but the root beer goggles are twice as thick.

By: Meredith C

Meredith C — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:34:31 +0000

(I hope that doesn’t offend anyone. I’m sure there are a lot of nice men on LDSsingles.org. I just know not where to find them.)

By: Meredith C

Meredith C — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:33:24 +0000

Or we could just consider marrying Jews – the men on Jdate are WAY more eligible than the men on LDSsingles.org

By: JZ

JZ — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:04:26 +0000

Maybe LDS Singles should consider the advantages of hiring matchmakers, as the Jews do. Evidently we need some help. Afterall, we are old at 30, if not yet married. Thoughts?

By: jdub

jdub — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:47:09 +0000

I have a good friend a couple years younger than I am who recently graduated from BYUI. No boyfriend, no dates, no marriage prospects during her entire last year, if not longer. She was 23 and had mostly younger friends – 19 and 20 – who seemed to make a HUGE point of her age, her single status, and her need to be married. At one point, one of these young girls was discussing a boy problem, my friend offered advice, and another girl said “Why are we even listening to you? You’re old and you’re not even married.” I would wager (based on my incredibly small sample size) that senior panic might be more of an issue at BYUI? Maybe just among that particular group of girls…

Also, I attended BYU and broke up with a long-time boyfriend (who I had thought I would marry) two weeks into my last semester. As I was considering breaking up with him, I remember weighing into the balance of pros and cons the fact that in 3 months, I’d be graduating and moving on and my chances of finding a mate might diminish. I was not deterred. Insert eternal gratitude here.

This was a fun post. Young single Mormon culture is absolutely fascinating.