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Name change on degree???

09inlove09inlove member
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in Students
This question is for the ladies who plan on getting married BEFORE they graduate. I'm getting married next summer (July 6 :] ) and I'm graduating the following December. When I first got engaged I planned on keeping my maiden name on my degree. I am changing my last name to FIs asap after the wedding along with everything else. I plan to keep my maiden name on my degree because its who I am and everything I've worked for (first in my family to go to college) and in many ways I wouldn't feel right if I changed it for this purpose. Not to mention my parents have hinted they wanted it this way when we told them of the engagement. My maiden name is also one of those names that everybody calls you by and is kind of unique; at least where I'm from. Now that I've started wondering, I'm thinking about having FIs name on my degree. I've been with him since hs graduation and I feel I almost owe it to him. So what I am asking is how many of you ladies plan on keeping or kept your maiden name on your degree and why??


And for the record my intials now are AJM (each being 7-8 letters long) and once I'm married I plan on making them AJMP so you can only imagine how long my name will really be. This being because my middle is my grandmas name and I dont want to drop my middle or last name and I don't want to hyphenate. Sorry this is longer then I intended...
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Re: Name change on degree???

  • GLENNSEASEGLENNSEASE member
    First Comment
    law student advice: use both his for personal business yours for professional business it makes life easier if the worst happens trust me
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  • brandichamberlainbrandichamberlain
    Combo Breaker First Comment
    I will be using my new last name on my degree. We both come from a strict belief that divorce is not an option in any way ever. We don't judge others for it, we just made sure that was something important to both of us. So I want my new name on it. That is my identity now that I will be his wife. I'm all for independence and all of that, but won't your identity be Mrs. NEW LAST NAME in everything else for the rest of your life?
    imageVacation
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  • sara814sara814
    First Comment
    Too funny to read about this today. I have been kind of stressing over this! I am getting married July 2012 and I am having major reservations about changing my name at school. I am worried that it will be confusing there, and I have also worked so hard for my degree, and I would kind of like to have my maiden name on my diploma. I'm glad that I'm not the only one who is thinking about this! My friends and family don't seem to get it.
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  • deusimusdeusimus member
    First Comment
    Im getting married before I graduate, too, and I'm keeping my maiden name on my degree. I think it's easier, personally, plus I have been slowly working on this degree since before he even came into my life, and he isn't part of my schooling, so this degree is my accomplishment. I also am in the same situation as you with my last name being used to identify me, almost to the point where some of my friends don't even know my first name, since EVRYONE except family calls me by my last name (it's an odd last name) so my last name has pretty much become my identity, my name, and I'm even considering keeping it altogether after marriage. I might hyphenate, but my name is important to me, and not to be a feminist, but I'm also not the fan of being forced to take his name like I'm becoming his possession or can only have his indentity and not my own lol.

    You can always keep your maiden name on the degree if that is what you feel the most comfortable with, and if anyone that isnt a friend or family member asks about it, just say you were married after graduation to avoid any odd questions (like if you have it hanging in an office and clients ask.....I mean, do women that graduate before marriage with their maiden name ever go back and get their degree redone with their new married name?)

    Good luck! Just do what makes YOU happy!
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  • missamericka2missamericka2 member
    First Comment
    I totally understand your concerns and briefly thought of this before I was engaged. My family and fiance have supported me in so many ways, so it was something I thought of as well. I'm in law school now, and plan on being married before I'm done. The way I see it is-regardless of the name on my diploma, its still ME. Your parents aren't going to be less proud of you one way or the other. Also, I figure my husband to be is going to be the one helping me pay off student loans, etc. And as a professional, if you plan on using his name then do it! :)
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  • lexingtnlexingtn
    First Comment
    I've been debating the same thing! I started grad school before we got engaged but he has been helping me tremendously while I'm in school. My FI wants me to put my married name,  because I already decided to change my name when we get married, but I feel like I want my maiden name on there as well. My mom has 3 college degrees and she has all different names on all of them; one with just her married name, one with her married and maiden, so I know it doesn't really matter but it's still a big question mark. Whichever you chose, it'll look awesome on your degree hanging on the wall!

    And shout out to all my social workers, I'm 1 year into my MSW and I love it!
    Getting married 10.7.12!!!
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