DEAR ABBY: I am 18 and will be graduating in May of next year. Because I have always done well in school, my family expects me to go right off to a big-league college.
Abby, I want to go to college, but not right away. (I am also not too fond of staying in dorms.) I want to be a zoologist, and plan on going to school for it, but I feel that my family is rushing me into college because they expect it of me. When I tell them my other interest is hairstyling, and I may want to take a year off to do that to save up money, they put me down and compare me to my successful college cousins.
I want my family to be proud of me because I have worked hard in school. I only wish they would be just as proud of me if I maintained a nice job for a few years and then went to college. (I have been told if I choose that path, I will never go to college and I'll never make good money.)
They also blame my not wanting to go to college right away on my boyfriend of two years. I assure you, that is not the reason. I want to attend an in-state college, and I would still be able to see him. Do you have any advice? -- SCHOOLED-OUT IN COLORADO
DEAR SCHOOLED-OUT: The longer you delay college, the more distractions there will be and the harder it will be for you to go back. Yes, people do it. But juggling a job and going to school is more difficult than going to school full-time, and it takes longer to get the degree. I urge you to listen to your parents. They have your best interests at heart.