DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a college student and a part-time personal assistant for a couple. The couple I work for have offered me a full-time position as their personal assistant upon graduation. I enjoy working for them and the money is great, but I don’t see this as a career; it's more of a temporary job.

I graduate in May and need some help deciding what the next step should be. Do I continue working with the couple and earn enough money to support myself, or branch out with my college degree? -- Personal Assistant Looking to Leave, Chicago

DEAR PERSONAL ASSISTANT LOOKING TO LEAVE: Take some time to think about what you want to do in your career. Plot out a course with a timeline. Look for job opportunities in your area of interest, and interview for as many of them as you can. This is how you will know if you can find a job right away in your field. If you cannot find exactly what you want, consider volunteering part-time at a company that does what you are interested in. You can then ask your current employers if they would be willing to keep you on as a part-time employee. Explain that you enjoy working for them, but you need to stay true to your long-term dreams. Your solution enables you to keep working with them and cultivate your career goals.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I need some help on time management. I am a paralegal at a law firm, and I work a lot of overtime hours and sometimes on weekends. I have started to study for the LSAT, which is the exam required to get into law school. I’m not sure how I am going to juggle working and studying. They are both very important to me, and I want to be able to manage both tasks. Do you have any tips for a busy person like me on how to allocate time effectively? -- Juggling Future Lawyer, Philadelphia

DEAR JUGGLING FUTURE LAWYER: It’s time to talk to your boss. Let your company know that you are about to take the LSAT and need to carve out time to study. Ask for support during this critical time. Point out that you know how busy the firm is and you want to carry your own weight, but realistically, you need to devote a significant amount of time to your studies in order to get to the next step. You may run into some resistance, especially if you are an effective paralegal in a busy law office. Stand your ground. Make it clear that you absolutely must reduce your hours for a specific period so that you can get into law school.

If your manager isn’t listening to you, look around for a mentor. You can even go to HR to plead your case. Be sure to tell your story from the perspective of how you will better be able to support the firm as you build your skills. Of course this is for you, but it will also benefit them.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have agreed to nanny for a family for the month of July this summer. Baby-sitting for one day is a lot of work mentally and physically, so I can’t imagine how tired I will be after a month of working with the kids.

I have already agreed to work for the month, but I have been thinking about speaking with the parents to ask for a couple of nights off. I think if I get one night off a week (so four nights during the month), it would be less draining. How do you think I should approach this? Is one night off a week the right amount? -- Overworked Nanny, Boston

DEAR OVERWORKED NANNY: It is perfectly fine for you to ask to revisit your agreement for the month of July. You have far more leverage now, before the work begins, to discuss your request and figure out a solution with the family. If they value you and the way that you interact with their children, they should be amenable to supporting your needs.

Be firm and clear. Let them know how much you enjoy working with their children, even if it is taxing. In order to be your best, you need one night a week to yourself. You should also review your general free time during the month. Are you literally on call 24 hours a day? If so, are you paid for those hours? Going from baby-sitting for a few hours a day to a month of overnighters is a completely different scenario. Make sure you are being fairly compensated for the many additional hours.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I fly quite frequently, so I have seen it all when it comes to airport dramas. I have witnessed everything from fights with flight attendants to grown men getting motion sickness on the plane. What is your opinion on proper airplane etiquette, specifically while on the plane? What do you think about people taking off their shoes on the plane? The person next to you using the arm rest for the duration of the flight? Should people be allowed to push past you in the aisle once the plane lands? If there are any other do’s and don’ts of airline etiquette, I would love to know! -- Flyer Etiquette, Dallas

DEAR FLYER ETIQUETTE: Ah, there should be a book about airplane etiquette -- if there isn’t one already! It used to be that people dressed up in their Sunday best before heading to the airport. The idea was that this was a special outing, and everyone should be on their best behavior.

Today, people are commonly impatient and oblivious to their neighbors. What should you do? Use common sense. It is OK to take off your shoes, as feet often swell on planes. But make sure your socks are clean and that you don’t have foot odor before you do this. Share the arm rest. If possible, use one and leave the other for the person sitting next to you. Before the plane lands, check to see that your personal belongings are in order. When it lands, wait to move through the aisles to retrieve your stowed bags. If you have to get to a connecting flight, let people know and ask to move ahead of passengers who are disembarking. Finally, be willing to change seats if a parent and child need to sit together. Readers, do you have any other advice?

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I just learned that the big brother of one of my childhood friends passed away. I remember seeing him last year when I was visiting home. On one hand, he looked the same, wearing the bright smile that was his signature. On the other, he looked weak. I didn’t think much of it, as I hadn’t seen him in more than 25 years.

I feel bad now that I didn’t reach out to his sister to check to see how things were going. She and I see each other only occasionally. As close as we were as kids, time has created distance between us. We still like each other, though. She was the one who told me about his passing. What can I do to express my sorrow appropriately? -- Now He's Gone, Baltimore

DEAR NOW HE’S GONE: Stay in the moment. No need to dredge up the years that have passed or what you observed about her brother’s fragility when you do talk to your friend. Instead, focus on the positive memories. Tell stories that reflect what you recall about him and his relationship with his sister. Ask her if you can do anything to support her during this time.

Make this a moment of reconnection. I’m sure she can use a friend right now. Death can have a positive impact in people’s lives as it often brings friends back together.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a man in my 70s. I have seven grandchildren who all live close by, so I get to see them frequently. The summer is coming up, and my children rented a lake house that we will all visit.

One thing has been bothering me recently: I never learned to swim when I was younger, and haven't bothered to get lessons since, because I’m never in the position where I need to swim. That is, up until now. I want to be able to go in the lake this summer with my grandchildren. Is it too late to learn how to swim? I feel embarrassed about it. -- Grandpa Can't Swim, Boston

DEAR GRANDPA CAN’T SWIM: It’s not too late to get a swim teacher and solidify the basics for the summer so that you feel comfortable and confident in the water. Go for that. It is smart for you and your family.

Beyond that, know that you can cheer on your grandchildren with all the enthusiasm in the world by standing on the edge of the pool or on the shore and taking great photos and videos.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)