Delaying marriage because of studies – need advice

Assalamu alaikum everyone, I wanted to share something personal and get your thoughts. I’m hoping to marry a sister I knew from before. We used to talk privately, but it was mostly innocent-hardly any flirting. When things started heading that way, we both made it clear we wanted marriage, so we cut off all contact until we’re able to marry. Not a single message since then. I held off on marriage until I could find a decent job to provide a home and food, alhamdulillah after seven months I got a good paying job. So I asked my mom to speak to her mom. But her mom kept it quiet and basically said, "maybe wait until she finishes her studies" – which means about 14 more months. I’d really like to push for a proper meeting instead of just the mothers talking, but I feel like it would be disrespectful to go against her request to keep it secret. At the same time, I’m worried staying quiet might hurt my chances. Waiting could be a chance for self-improvement, but it’s also hard and might lead to falling into sin again. A person who is ready for marriage should try to guard their chastity, and delaying makes that struggle tougher. In my opinion, delaying marriage without a solid reason isn’t encouraged-even lack of money isn’t always a strong reason since Allah provides for those who marry. If I were to advise parents, I’d say make marriage easy if the person’s religion and intentions are sound. Any advice would mean a lot. Jazakum Allahu khayran.