My husband and I just passed the four-month mark of marriage.

In celebration, we took a break from homework to drive through McDonald's and treat ourselves with dollar ice cream cones. That may seem like an odd date, but it was in honor of the night our relationship started, almost three years ago.

Our story is almost cliche: we met at freshman orientation, we started dating a semester later and we even ended up in the same major. Rather than completely follow the "Ring by Spring" script, we decided to get married before graduating. Now we are married seniors, applying to graduate schools and preparing for "real life."

I'm certainly no expert on marriage, nor even far enough out of the "honeymoon phase" to have any authority on the subject. But I have noticed some ways being married has changed my life, especially as a college student. Here's a short list of things that are different now that he put a ring on it.

1. It's a little bit weirder to have classes together.

Okay, maybe I shouldn't be so confused by this. After all, we've had classes together our entire relationship. But in-class discussions seem oddly formal when the person I'm talking to is my spouse, and I always feel a little awkward if we try to ask questions at the same time. I tell myself that I'm being overly-sensitive, but I still wonder what my classmates think about the married people in the front row.

2. It's way easier – and more fun – to keep our space clean.

*an accurate depiction of my husband dancing*

Those of us who have lived with dorm or roommates know how hard it is to talk about cleaning. It always feels rude or overly-assertive to say that shared spaces need to be cleaned, and nobody wants to mess with someone else's stuff.

Now that my roommate is my husband, I have no problem saying (or hearing him say) that we need to clean more.

For one thing, there's no "off limits" stuff; I can put away all of his size 13 shoes, and he can fold the blankets I leave strewn about. We can also find more shared time to clean together and make it fun; with a little 80s music and some goofy dancing, no chore seems too laborious.

3. I have a built-in, 24/7 study partner...

Okay, maybe not 24/7.

But there's way more flexibility now that I have someone who knows my schedule and stress on a daily basis, and who can help me in the comfort of my own home. Zak and I often read each other's papers, ask each other advice and share textbooks.

It helps that many of our classes overlap, but regardless, I know I can rely on my husband to get me through a rough test or give me feedback on a presentation. I am also more willing to sacrifice my free time for him than I would be for anyone else.

4. But I also have a built-in distraction.

It's always hard to do homework with friends, especially with your best friend that also happens to live with you and share all the same space.

Unless we're both in the mood to study, one of us is probably doing something the other person would rather join. We also really enjoy talking and spending time together, so breaking up that time for the sake of homework always seems unfair.

Major study sessions usually require us picking different spaces to be in so that neither of us gets off-topic.

5. We don't have to stay up late to see each other.

When we were dating, it seemed really romantic to go on late walks and linger outside the door because we didn't want to leave each other.

Now, I have no problem crawling into bed at 10 p.m. and leaving romance for the morning. Many of our best conversations now happen as we fall asleep at night, after we've already done all the work of brushing teeth and turning off lights.

Another bonus is that Zak encourages me to sleep in, or he makes me coffee before my 8 a.m. classes.

6. We can discuss so many more things.

If you didn't know, Zak and I love to talk to each other. As Psychology-oriented honors students, pretty much every day includes big questions about the world, human nature, or the way things work. We've always been big on communication, but marriage took that into overdrive.

Now we have even more time and space to share conversations and ponder things. We like talking so much that we made discussing big ideas part of our vows – and, so far, we've made good on that promise!

7. I've begun thinking harder about my habits and assumptions.

This is one of the biggest changes I've experienced since getting married. Most of us have habits and tendencies that seem normal based on our families or patterns; marriage challenges a lot of those "normal" patterns and highlights that there are many ways to function.

This seems to be one of the first areas of conflict between spouses when one person gets irritated that the other isn't "doing it right." Zak and I have different patterns of behavior that sometimes clash – for example, I like to take the dish scrubby out of the sink after washing dishes, whereas he tends to leave it in.

These small differences can build up, but we've tried to look at them as opportunities to think of new, potentially better, habits to build. I've certainly become more thoughtful about my patterns now that someone else is around to challenge and question them.

8. The fun never ends!

Call me mushy all you want, but I'm not lying! Somehow, marriage makes even the frustrating parts of my life better.

Together, Zak and I are better at taking care of ourselves, each other and even our friends. It helps that I'm married to someone who I respect, enjoy and admire – someone I know values and supports me completely. Whether we are goofy dancing late at night or encouraging each other to have slow, sleepy mornings, I always find myself happier knowing I have such a great person by my side.

Marriage has helped us both grow up and be more thoughtful, but with joy and laughter to make it all easier.