DR. WALLACE: I'm a male undergraduate in college, but I've been doing a really interesting internship for the past year. Last week, to my utter surprise, I received a job offer even though I still have more than a year until I graduate.

This is a very good company, it's definitely in my field of interest, which is why I sought out this internship. I'm really surprised that this company has made me a full-time job offer while I'm still in school. They told me that if I accept the offer, they will give me a proration of my future annual salary for working this summer and also for working some part-time hours at my convenience around my studies during the next school year.

My family and friends are almost evenly split on this situation. Half of them are encouraging me to jump at the offer and accept it, while the other half feel that I should graduate first and cast a wide net in terms of looking at which companies I would like to prospectively work for in the future.

One friend of mine who is encouraging me to take the job offer made me laugh by saying that I'm like a rookie baseball player who's being signed to a long-term contract before he's even fully proven himself in the major leagues! What do you think and where do you come down on this situation? — Their Job Offer Stunned Me, via email

THEIR JOB OFFER STUNNED ME: I side with the half of your family and friends who are encouraging you to accept this offer! I reason that you can work a couple of months this summer, earn some invaluable experience and some very valuable capital as well. You already know this company by doing an internship there for the past year and you obviously sought them out specifically to work there originally in the first place.

The further good news for you is that during your senior year in college, you'll be paid handsomely for the part-time hours you can allocate around your studies and you'll have a full-time job ready for you upon graduation. Plus, if for any reason, you change your mind or decide to look at other job offers as you graduate, there's nothing wrong with doing this as long as you proceed in a fair, ethical way both to yourself, your current employer and any future employers who may be interested in speaking with you.

As long as you handle everything with integrity and professionalism, I highly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity at this point in your life.

MY GIRLFRIEND EXPECTS ME TO DOTE ON HER

DR. WALLACE: As a busy senior in high school, I find it a challenge to keep up with everything in my life from day to day and week to week.

I'm taking a full course load of challenging classes designed to help me prepare for college. I also play varsity sports and I've got a fantastic girlfriend that I've had for the past year, whom I also enjoy spending time with.

Sometimes it feels like I barely have time to sleep! Most of my discretionary time is structured, because of the fact that I have to attend sports practices, team meetings and playing games at fixed times. I also have to be in class all day long because of my full schedule and I'm part of two study groups that really help me to keep up with the hardest classes, so that eats up another chunk of my time.

I spend as much time as possible with my girlfriend and we truly enjoy hanging out together, but she always seems to want more time! It's her position that I should be more proactive with her and dote on her more than I do. It's not that I don't love her, because I certainly do, but it's just a function of me trying to keep up with everything. How can I best explain all of this to her in a way that won't upset her? — Very Busy guy, via email

VERY BUSY GUY: In my opinion your girlfriend has a point here. She knows well that your time is limited and that you're very busy, but she likely wants to hear from you more regularly in between your planned dates.

Start by planning as much as you possibly can. Allocate and book some free time of yours with her a week or two or even three in advance! There's something both comforting and exciting about having something good to look forward to that is planned in advance. Your girlfriend will likely appreciate the planning and she can relax a bit knowing that there are some fun things planned in each of your futures going forward.

In addition to this, make it a point to check in with her a couple of times a day and instead of just asking her what she's doing or how things are going, be more specific. Ask her how she's feeling about the things she's dealing with on that particular day. Take time to let her know you care about how she feels as well as what she's up to on any given day.

There's a big difference between a romantic couple by saying, "How are you feeling?" versus "What are you doing today?" Let her know regularly that you're both thinking about her and that you're concerned in terms of how she's feeling as she navigates her own schedule each day. This extra touch, coupled with planning fun outings well in advance, may bring you both closer and create more general happiness for each of you.

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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