<p>But my parent's refuse to allow me to go away to school. I want to attend FSU which is in Tallahassee about a 7 hour drive away from home, but my dad won't even hear of it. He refuses to even allow me to APPLY, let alone attend if I were to get accepted. </p>
<p>My family thinks that as a 17 year old girl I should not live on my own. And if I were to leave my dad would follow me, cause a scene, and FORCE me to go back home with him. </p>
<p>I guess my question is, what should I do? Should I listen to my parents and go to the local crappy school, or should I leave on my own? Grow up? Make my own decisions? Then again, considering I will still be 17 when the semester starts, how many legal rights do they have over me? </p>
<p>Or should I wait and apply for January 2009? My parents have no problem with me taking a semester off, so after that "break" I make a run for it? </p>
<p>Don't get me wrong I love my family very much, but I don't want to be brought down to a bad school when I could go to a much better one. Yet, I fear that my family will disown me if I leave, and not speak to me for years to come.</p>
<p>they can't be with you forever, you're going to have to start doing stuff for yourselves anyway and it's better to do that if you have a more secure future so if talking to them won't work, then go for it...I think parental rights already decreased by a bit at 16 but then I'm not sure, maybe find someone else to talk for you like a counselor if he/she is willing I guess</p>
<p>if nothing else works wait for the second semester entry. get a job over the summer fall to pay for all the things your parents won't be helping with (like transportation....).</p>
<p>thanks everyone, when I even mention to my older brother (who is one my best friends) what i plan on doing he tells me right away the running away is not an option. </p>
<p>Its nice to know that other people think I should go for it</p>
<p>before just leaving I would definitely try to get advice from someone who actually knows the legal situation for your state. make sure they can't force you to come back.
people on this site won't know everything about it.</p>
<p>I liked TheVeganActress' advice. Apply, get a deferral from the school, and work on your parents. Do you think there is anything you can do between now and the time you turn 18 to show them you are mature enough to live away from them? It would be preferable to keep peace in the family if at all possible. Have you discussed what will happen when you DO turn 18? Would they support you then if you decided to move out? It is strange that they do not want you to become independent.</p>
<p>^^ She's got Bright Futures, so it should be free. The state pays for it.</p>
<p>Try talking to them, I guess. Age is just a number; you will not magically mature the day you turn 18. Do whatever you can to prove to them that you're capable of taking care of yourself, and that they can trust you to live on your own a few months before you're legally an adult.</p>
<p>And also did you say that your parents don't have a problem with you starting in January as opposed to August?
Why don't you ask them what a difference of 5 months is going to do? I'd like to know.</p>
<p>wow, my parents wanted to send me away to school (boarding school) when i was 12. and i wasn't a bad kid. they were just like.. already, time to go.. we'll see you later..</p>
<p>i'd say make a run for it. your parents are hanging on to you because they don't know what they'd do without you. empty nest syndrome. or at least, one more gone syndrome.</p>