DR. WALLACE: I love comics, dressing up and living out fantasy dreams! My favorite holiday is Halloween (since I can dress up), and I want to attend Comic-Con in 2024.

It's being held in San Diego, but I will only be 17 years old at that time, and my parents aren't interested in traveling 1,000 miles with me to go to this event.

However, I have a good girlfriend who is also planning to go, and both of her parents are planning to go with her. She and I are friends, and we are both in the same grade at school.

I plan to work a lot between now and then and to save money for the airline ticket and my food and hotel expenses. My parents are not happy with this event, but they do know my girlfriend and her parents. Do you think I should be allowed to attend this wonderful event? I'm so excited thinking about it that I can hardly sleep! — Love Dressing in Costumes, via email

LOVE DRESSING IN COSTUMES: You need to convince your parents and execute your plan to work and save money between now and then.

I suggest you start inviting your friend and her parents over to your house so that your parents will see that this other family is indeed serious about allowing their daughter to attend this event next summer. At this meeting you can all discuss together the possibilities of you attending this event with their family next year.

If you can cross that important hurdle, then the onus is on you to work to save up enough money to make your dream a reality. Good luck!

SHOULD I TRY COLLEGE OR GET A JOB?

DR. WALLACE: I'm not sure what to do these days. I just graduated high school and I was a slightly above-average student, but not the type that gets offered a college scholarship, if you know what I mean.

I want to move out of my parent's house really badly. They are nice enough people, but I have four younger siblings, and the household is a total madhouse seven days a week. I need to move out; it's time in many ways for me now.

In order to move out, I'd need a job, but there is a part of me that would like to go to just an entry-level college also. So, my dilemma is whether I should go to college or get a job right now.

How can I decide this, and what criteria should I use to make a good decision for myself? — Ready to Start the Rest of My Life, via email

READY TO START THE REST OF MY LIFE: You might want to do both if you think you can manage to do so.

If you do both, I recommend that you take just a few classes at the local community college. Since you would need a job in order to move out of your family home, you'll need to be working at least 25 hours a week or more in order to support yourself. You would also likely need a roommate, so think now about who you know who's enough of a trusted friend who you could rely on to be a good roommate and to be financially responsible.

Regarding the community college, I'd recommend that you select just two classes to start with. Pick two subjects that interest you. Some community colleges offer courses in the mid- or late evening as well.

If you find the right job and the right roommate, you can likely move out sometime soon. You can try a few classes to see if you can keep up. If you find that you can't, be honest and tell your instructors exactly what is going on, since you might wish to try these courses again sometime.

Always remember that life is a journey and that no one is able to construct the perfect life plan around 18 years of age, but for those who work hard and stay flexible, a few wise and logical course corrections and adjustments can lead to a wonderful future. Good luck in all your endeavors!

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Erik Mclean at Unsplash