DR. WALLACE: I'm 17 and recently met the nicest, sweetest, most wonderful guy in the world at a friend's wedding reception. So far all we have done is have lunch together on two Saturday afternoons. I'd really like to see this fellow on a regular basis (he has also told me he would like to start dating me), but he is 20 years old and I'm afraid my parents won't allow me to date him because of his age. Actually, he is only two years and ten months older than I, but age 20 seems older than it really is.

He just finished his second year at a local community college and will be attending the University of California at Irvine in the fall. I will be a senior in high school in September. He is interested in a prelaw course of study and so am I. His uncle is an attorney and so is my father.

I want my parents to meet Richard. I know they will really like him. But I'm afraid to tell them he's 20 because they might tell me I can't date him because he's too old. They haven't told me not to date someone 34 months older than I am, but somehow I feel they wouldn't like the idea.

Would it be dishonest of me to invite him to meet my parents, then after he leaves, tell them that he is only 1,035 days older than I am?

If I gamble and tell them before they meet him, they might never have the chance to meet him. Trust me, Richard is a super guy and cute, too. — Nameless, Anaheim, Calif.

NAMELESS: I don't believe it would be dishonest if you do not tell your parents Richard's age until after they meet him. It's certainly reasonable to want them to form an unbiased impression of him.

Of course, they may like him a lot, but still think he's too old for you. If that's the case, respect their decision.

IT'S GOOD TO STUDY TOGETHER

DR. WALLACE: My two best friends and I like to study together. It makes it less boring and much more enjoyable. My friends and I study together every Tuesday and Thursday for about two hours. We always rotate at each other's houses.

My dad thinks it is much better to study alone because then I can concentrate better without interruption.

What is your opinion on this subject? — Nameless, Galesburg, Ill.

NAMELESS: When I was teaching, I encouraged students to study together whenever possible, especially before an important test.

Harvard University seems to agree. Researchers there investigated group study and reported that it was an ideal way of reinforcing what has been taught in class.

The report suggested that group study could be organized one of two ways: Individual members can have responsibility for a single subject, or everyone can be responsible for all subjects, with the group functioning as a discussion group in which the members help one another understand key points and question each other in preparation for tests.

The biggest flaw with group study is people's tendency to spend time on non-academic matters. The major problem with studying alone is that there's no one to help you with something you don't fully understand.

When friends study as a group, the maximum number should be four.

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.