Over the last few weeks, it seems the song “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” by The Clash has been a perfect summation of my life.

See, fellow soon-to-be graduates, I’m deciding whether to stay in Charleston or move back in with my parents after graduation, as I’m sure you are.

It’s been a huge tug-of-war, not just with my parents, but also in my own head.

I’m graduating with a degree in a field where the post-graduation job expectancy is far off. That means I could be without a job for six months or more.

So, what should I do between May 8 and that magical far-off time when I will get a start to my professional career?

The easy option for some is to move back in with their parents.

At first, it seems like a great idea. They’ll have a place to live, free food, free laundry and transportation.

For some, though, this choice feels like our freedom will be taken away, especially with strict parents. You might have a curfew. You might have to pay rent. You might have to do chores around the house. You might have to get a minimum wage job, or, worse yet, work at your parents’ job in a low-level position.

Your other option is to move out and live on your own.

Yes, you will have the freedom to do, say and eat what you want. You won’t have a curfew. You might be closer to better job opportunities than you would be living with your parents.

The downside, of course, is that you’ll be broke for a long time. Rent, insurance, cell phone, electricity, water, laundry. the list is endless. And you still might have to get that minimum wage job while you wait for a professional opportunity to open up.

I was pretty depressed about this decision last week, so I rented the movie “Post Grad,” starring Alexis Bledel.

The main character Ryden has just graduated from college and her dream is to work at a big-name publishing company and live in a fabulous apartment.

She ends up, however, moving back in with her eccentric family and applying for jobs at every company and store she can find.

After a twist of fate, Ryden ends up with her dream job, but thinks she’s lost touch with the things that really make her happy. And it doesn’t help that her hot best friend is in love with her, and she doesn’t realize it until he moves to New York to go to law school.

Her salvation comes from an unlikely source – her hot Brazilian neighbor who moved to the country to be a film director, but ended up shooting awful infomercials.

Her neighbor says, “What you do with your life is just one half of the equation. More importantly, it’s who you’re with when you’re doing it.”

Now, I’m not saying we should all forget about money and employment and run off to be with our best friends.

The moral here is to figure out for what is going to make you happy, and then do it. Come up with a plan that works for you. It’s time for those of us graduating to be responsible adults, and that means making your own decisions, and making them wise ones.

Sarah Jean Bresnahan is a senior journalism major and can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].