Three and a half years have flown by and the last year and a half have taken on the same speed. Now I am a college student and very soon I will enter the dreaded zone of adulthood.

As I enter this territory, I am realizing more and more that I do not like it. First, there are decisions to be made. This may seem obvious, but in the past I have become accustomed to listening to sound advice that has been given by friends and family. However, now it is up to me to make these choices that will affect my life.

One that is plaguing me right now is: Should I finish my credit requirements in December 2004 and go home to Providence, work and save money? Or should I do what I’ve been planning to do since day one, go to New York City and work at my dream internship which lies in the world of journalism/music/fashion?

My sensible side says, go home. Though it will be humdrum and boring, at least it will give me the opportunity to save my money, pay off a few credit card bills and create a safety net for me when I finally leave the nest.

Or there is the option of going to New York, the Big Apple, the City of Dreams, to follow my dreams. The reason I came to Northeastern was to see what field I actually want to spend the rest of my life working in.

I decided to confide in my friends. First on my list to call was Seesun. She completely understands where I’m coming from. She somehow has managed to stay in classes for a year straight and will be finished with classes this December. We both have aspirations of working in the entertainment field and living in New York. She tells me:

“C, write a list of pros and cons. I know it sounds very corny, but it works.”

So I sit down and do so. The list is entitled “Reasons to go on co-op summer 2004.”

Pros

1. Finally work in New York to see if the city is really for me.

2. Get out of Boston (after being here for three years straight!)

3. Make connections and hopefully land a job for after graduation

4. Experience a new city

5. Avoid feeling regret for not going

Cons

1. Being broke (more than likely I will work at an unpaid internship, so this means I will definitely have little to no funding.)

2. Leaving behind friends and family

3. Missing the last fall semester at Northeastern

After placing everything in front of me I realize that the pros outweigh the cons. But it is still hard for me to make this decision.

So, I call the most important person involved in this decision-making process — my dad. He is the person who financially supports me and will bear most of the burden if I do move to the city, whether it be a three or six month period.

“Well Camila, you know, it’s time you start pulling your own weight,” said the frugal father to the overspending daughter.

So, this still leaves me with a choice to make, although I know what my heart tells me there are still other issues that need to be taken into consideration before rendering my final decision.

Where are the days when life used to be simple?

— Camila Crews can be reached at [email protected]