Dear Devil’s Advocate,
I’ve been thinking about moving out of my house and finding my own apartment because I want the experience of being independent and living without the support of my parents. The problem is I would be working two jobs to make ends meet and going to school at the same time. I’ve been searching for apartments but most are too expensive for me. When a friend recently told me he found one for a good price, I started having doubts about moving out on my own. What should I do?
-Indecisive Student
Dear Indecisive,
If you’re having doubts about moving, perhaps you aren’t ready to take on this responsibility. You want to experience being independent during your college career and you are expecting it to be a promising experience since your parents will not be nagging you every second of the day. But perhaps now isn’t your time to leave the nest.
You should take advantage of the fact that by living at home, you don’t have to worry about bills or if there is enough food for the week (in most cases).
Some students do have to take up all of those responsibilities because they have no other choice. It doesn’t seem like your parents are expecting you to leave soon, however, so take it slow.
You don’t seem to be in a rush to be moving out and I suggest enjoying being a dependent at home in the meantime. Living on your own may not be all it is cracked up to be.
Dear Devil’s Advocate,
I have been working at a clerical office for over a year now and my current boss is laid back and makes the work environment relaxed and fun. However, he’s been promoted to a higher position and the woman taking over is known to be demanding and tough on her employees. The pay isn’t bad and I get along well with my co-workers, but I know once she assumes her position, things are going to change in the office and I’m pretty sure I won’t enjoy it. Should I start looking for a new job or remain at my current place of employment?
-Doubtful Employee
Dear Doubtful,
I hope you enjoy the extra work given by the boss from hell…or not. I couldn’t help referring to “Office Space,” but in all seriousness, we are all going to encounter bosses that are awesome and others that you want to get rid of in the most outrageous ways. I suggest giving your new boss a try and see if you can handle the new workload. If not, there’s always the classified section in your local newspaper. Things could be worse; you could have had a boss like Steve Carell’s character in “The Office.”
Dear Devil’s Advocate,
Recently, I met this guy at a party and we hit it off. The problem is that I found out my friend has liked him for awhile, but he isn’t interested in her. He told me he wanted to see me, but I don’t know what to do. If I go out with him, I will be a disloyal friend and if I don’t, I could miss an opportunity with a great guy. What should I do?
-Caught in the Middle
Dear Caught,
Love triangles are never fun, but this one seems pretty tame compared to others. This guy has made it clear that he’s not interested in your friend. Even better, though, is that he is interested in you. While you don’t want to hurt your friend, you shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to get to know this guy just because your friend might get mad. If she’s really your friend, she’ll understand and try to be happy for you-or at least get over it in a timely fashion. You can’t live your life for others, so give it a chance and see where things go. You’ll only feel worse if you give up now.
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