DR. WALLACE: I'm starting to plan my college applications for next fall as I'm a high school senior right now. I already know what field of study I wish to go into, and what future career I'd like to pursue, so I feel lucky. Many of my fellow classmates have undecided futures.

That's the good news. The bad news is that my father now wants me to select my future university based on how "serious the academics are," according to him. He recently read that some of the schools that I was thinking of are considered to be big "party schools" and for this reason alone he wants me to eliminate them off of my potential list.

I'm a serious student and I have a good plan laid out for my life. I feel I should make my own choice for my own reasons, rather than having my father veto certain schools due to his one-dimensional perspective. Do you agree with me? — Future College Student, via email

FUTURE COLLEGE STUDENT: You are decidedly correct on this issue. The college experience of any particular student depends heavily and almost entirely upon that student, not the overall campus student body.

And even at schools that have a big "party" reputation, it is most often only a small minority of the students who cause that reputation to exist in the first place.

I feel you should select the best college for you, one that fits your academic and life plans beyond your college days.

SHOULD I START WITH A BLIND DATE?

DR. WALLACE: I'm a sophomore in high school and I really want to go on my first date. I'm nervous about it, but I feel I need to get the experience and have at least one date so that I don't fret about not having dated yet.

But so far, I have been asked out on a date and I don't know who I would ask out if I was to be the one asking. Thus far, there have been no dates, but my cousin just visited our family home this weekend and he told my older sister that he could "fix me up" with a blind date next weekend.

This means I won't know who I'm dating until that time arrives! This makes me even more nervous, but I do want to get my first date over with. Do you feel I should go on a blind date? — Ready to Date, via email

READY TO DATE: Since the person arranging the date is a family member, I do feel you should give this opportunity to go on a blind date a try. It will quench your thirst for getting your first date behind you and you may just have a nice time with a nice person.

Remember to smile often, use a good tone of voice and do your best to make your date enjoyable for each of you, no matter your level of interest in the other person for the long run.

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.

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