DR. WALLACE: I'm a college senior, and there's a particular industry that I'm interested in that will be having a major trade show in our city in late April. I did some research to see if the public could attend this particular trade show, but it came back as "closed," meaning that it's an "industry only" trade show, so I would not be allowed to attend.

I was really disappointed with this, and I kept turning over ideas in my mind for about a week until I suddenly came up with an idea. I figured that if I can quickly put out my resume to several of the companies in our area that work in this field, perhaps I could receive an internship. I even plan to put a cover letter stating that I would do the internship as an unpaid intern for the rest of the school year if such a position existed or could be created. Then once I actually work for a company in the industry, I could request to "tag along" to the trade show to get more exposure to the industry as a whole.

I thought this was a great idea, but when I mentioned it to my girlfriend, she felt I was being deceitful by trying to get a job as an intern with a company purely to attend a trade show. What do you think? — I'd Love to Attend That Show, via email

I'D LOVE TO ATTEND THAT SHOW: I don't see becoming a volunteer intern and attending a trade show as mutually exclusive. You're legitimately interested in that industry, and although your initial motivation was to attend the trade show, I commend your initiative and creativity in seeing if you can reach out to companies in your area to obtain even an unpaid internship.

Whether you end up attending this trade show or not, getting an internship in the industry you're interested in may be at least as valuable to you, if not more so. Pursue the idea of the internship with the hope that you may be able to attend the show, but even if you get an internship and don't get invited to the show, consider it a victory because you'll learn a lot that can help you to shape your thinking toward your future goals.

MY TEACHERS AND COUNSELOR ARE TOO INTENSE ABOUT MY FUTURE

DR. WALLACE: Some of my teachers and one of the counselors at my high school have gotten pretty intense with me lately. I'm an average student, maybe a bit above average, but I would not normally be considered major college material based on my academics alone.

I haven't made up my mind yet about my future, meaning what I'll be doing this summer and fall after I graduate from high school. Two teachers and this counselor are literally pressing me every week to give them more details on what I'm planning to do!

They make all kinds of suggestions and offer me to sit down with them and have long discussions about my future. At this point, I just want time to breathe and think, not be overwhelmed with everything. Do they have a right to do this? Sometimes it makes me pretty uncomfortable when they keep asking you the same questions over and over. — My Future Plans Remain Open, via email

MY FUTURE PLANS REMAIN OPEN: My take is that they are concerned and interested in you, and they feel they're helping you. They obviously want to help you but maybe aren't realizing that their good intentions are making you feel a bit pressured and resistant to their similar questions being repeated regularly.

It may seem to you to be counterintuitive, but I think it would be wise for you to schedule just a brief meeting, say for perhaps 15 minutes, with each teacher and the counselor in question. Tell them honestly that you want more time to think about things, and if they want to present you any materials in a very brief meeting, that you'll gladly take them and consider them when the time comes.

This may relieve the pressure of their persistence and provide you with some items to think about, and perhaps some paperwork or handouts they may want to give you. At some point, you may be interested in looking at them even if this is not the time yet.

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 [email protected]. 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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