"Don't underestimate these things. They are ... really crucial in married life."

Shen also suggests that undergraduates try to get to know their partners as much as possible, and to make sure that they marry for love.

"You will then find that love helps you to overcome difficulties and solve problems in married life," she says.

Zhou says there are generally three steps for a romantic relationship to evolve into marriage - getting to know each other, trusting each other and making a promise to each other.

"It takes some time to complete the three steps, so I suggest that people, especially undergraduates, take at least one or two years for the steps before getting married," she says.

Contact the writers through zhaoxinying@chinadaily.com.cn