Hello,

So, I (22 M) just graduated from an American university with a BA in English and Philosophy. As my intention is to one day get a Phd (and be a professor in either English or Philosophy), I decided to try my hand at graduate study by getting a Master's Degree in English. Towards this end, I applied to two MA programs:

1. My local university where I got my BA
2. Florida State University (an R1 institution, if this matters)

Now, by all counts, FSU is the better option: higher stipend, more class options, larger department, more prestigious campus, and stronger networking opportunities for the eventual Phd (two of their profs. graduated from Yale). They even have a professor who specializes in my preferred theoretical camp: Psychoanalysis (which I intend to study further, but that's a different story).

BOTH options are fully funded, which means they will cover tuition in exchange for TA work, so that's not the issue.

The reason why I'm conflicted is because I have very strong connections with my local university (I've grown rather close to the faculty), and, if I stay, I also get to stay with my parents.

The kicker, here, is that I've never lived on my own before, have never worked, and, by all means, am totally dependent on my parents for financial, emotional, and even social support (I have no friends, for instance). Beyond my family, I truly have nothing and no one to lean on, and all of my life experience seems to me focalized through the lens of this, shall we say, naïve or even warped innocence.

Academically, I feel quite prepared for the next level (that is, having completed a double major and an undergrad thesis), but, in every other domain, I feel quite unprepared.

The prospects of leaving for the first time, of going to a new university, of assuming new responsibilities, and of everything that comes with this decision feels rather overwhelming (and kind of terrifying, to be honest).

I'm truly stuck here, and so I need some honest advice.

What do you think I should do? Thoughts? Bits of wisdom from all you grad students/graduates?

Thanks.