Last week provided me a life lesson.

Up until last Sunday, I was moving to Los Angeles after my graduation this winter. I would like to tell you I was moving for a great job, or because I just love LA so much, or because I wanted to become a paparazzo, but the truth is I was planning to move because my boyfriend of two years is in the process of building a film career there. I was actually willing to give up my dream of living in New York City for a man. And I call myself a feminist?

It really is not as bad as it sounds though. My chosen career of advertising is well alive in Los Angeles, and who doesn’t like living near the beach? There were definitely reasons for me that I was moving there, but the inescapable truth was that I would have no intention of living there if it weren’t for him.

So what changed? Simple: He broke up with me.

I don’t know which made me madder. The fact that he was willing to terminate a two-year relationship over the phone, or the fact that I had met someone else a week earlier who I had put on the back-burner because I believed in my long-distance relationship too much.

You may wonder why I am divulging so much of my personal life on a blog about BU and Boston, but there is a greater point.

While at BU, you will undoubtedly meet someone very different from anyone you have ever met before. You may begin to date him or her, and yes, you may even fall in love. If you are like me, you may even be crazy enough to believe that this person is THE ONE. And if you are luckier than I am, that may actually be.

So the life lesson.

Never plan your life around someone. Live for you. If your paths bring you in the same direction, that’s great. If they don’t, it may be a sign. Never ignore the signs. While I don’t know who is the great creator of these signs, I do know they should be heeded. Even though you may think that at the mere age of 21 you know enough and have seen enough to make a decision about how to spend the rest of your life, do me a favor and accept that you don’t know anything.

And trust me, there is nothing scarier then admitting this fact to yourself, but — trust me again — you will be glad that you finally did.

While “clubbing” is a popular pastime of many a BU student, the clubs in Boston generally have little to offer as far as “real” dance music is concerned. For those of you who believe dance music is simply a top 40 track with a beat thrown behind it, you are sadly mistaken. Dance music is not all the same, either. There are many flavors: house, electro, techno, trance, and progressive, to name a few.

Every once in awhile, a big name DJ will grace the Boston music scene, such as DJ Benny Benassi, who is best known for his 2002 worldwide hit Satisfaction. But this past weekend, I spent my Halloween in New York City — dancing to a bigger sound in a city with a much richer dance scene. I was there to dance to the mixes of none other than Armin Van Buuren, the No. 1 DJ in the world according to DJ magazine for two years running. He offers a style between trance and progressive, and I think his mixing is just amazing.

The night was simply euphoric. Laser lights, thousands of people, and a 5 1/2 hour set which actually looks weak compared to his annual Armin Only concert that is 9 hours of non-stop trance music heaven.

While Armin shows are truly magnificent experiences, there are a few survival tips I have acquired to share with you:

1. Dress light, but tight.
It will get hot, but it will also be crowded with hands flying everywhere. You want
your clothes to stay on.

2. Keep your friends close, and your drinks closer.
Only let bouncers pat you down, and only let bartenders pour you drinks.

3. Just say no.
Yes, people will offer you ecstasy. No, you don’t want it.

4. Always stay till the end.
Even if you are tired, you will be glad you did in the long run and you may even get
Armin to sign your arm.

If you’re interested in hearing some of his music, a good place to start without being overwhelmed is his new album, Imagine. It will give you a good idea as to what he does, but the sound is not too heavy for a newbie. When you think you have graduated, try listening to one of his weekly two-hour A State of Trance radio shows from mixes.dj, where the songs are heavier and more progressive. You have to pay 20 pounds a year to download them, but I promise it will be worth it.

If you still think you are a fan, listen to the 8-hour episode 350, where 7 amazing DJs came to play in celebration Armin’s 350th A State of Trance show.

If you can listen to it straight through, congratulations, you are a fan of real dance music. Top 40 with a beat behind it will never sound the same again.

Last February, I decided I wanted to graduate a semester early. By March, all the essential plans had been made to do so and by April my application for graduation was signed, sealed and delivered. It was official. If this is something you decide to pursue, my one piece of advice is that you plan very carefully, and once everything is planned out, plan it all out again.

I could elaborate on this complicated process, but something more pressing is at hand: Finding a job at an advertising agency during these unsettling economic times.

When my plans to graduate this January were finalized back in April, I was under the assumption that looking for a job four months ahead of my classmates would go smoothly. As we all know, one should never assume, for it makes an ass out of you and certainly in this case, out of me. I confess that I did not see this one coming… and I don’t think too many others in my situation did either.

I have been doing all the things one should do when job hunting, like perfecting the résumé, writing snappy cover letters, and following up on applications. Much to my dismay, I have had no luck, yet.

While one would logically assume that tight economic times means a cut back on all advertising spending, that seems to not be the case for everyone.

Recently, TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles, which handled the U.S. advertising segment of VISA’s business, won the VISA global account. VISA has been a company that has been quite vocal about its plans to continue spending on advertising during this economic crisis.

Many brands believe that a recession is the perfect time to spend advertising dollars because of the fact that their competitors are doing the opposite, and those companies that invest in advertising can either pull ahead of the competition or secure a niche for themselves as a brand. An example of this was during the depression of the 1930’s when the Post cereal brand cut back on advertising and Kellogg kept spending, becoming the industry leader that it remains to this day.

“I love bad times,” says Martin Puris in a story in the September 29th issue of BusinessWeek. Martin is a creative who came up with the BMW slogan, ‘the ultimate driving machine’ during the mid-1970’s when consumer spending was down. “In good times people are less apt to try new things. In bad times, they have to start to do things better.”

My parents and brothers are all telling me to be wary of the current advertising market, but I have hope that there is an advertising or design firm somewhere in Los Angeles that isn’t afraid to take a chance in these unstable times. After all, what else can we do but hope?

Over the Columbus Day weekend I went back to Los Angeles, where I spent this past summer as an intern. It has become increasing clear to me that LA evokes one of two emotions from people I meet: love or hate. I rarely encounter those who feel neutral about the city — including those who have not spent any time there at all.

As a student who survived the LA experience, I feel it is my job to separate perception from reality — particularly for those of you interested in studying “abroad” through the College of Communication Internship Program.

The perception: LA is a glamorous, star-studded metropolis where unpaid interns party at the trendiest nightclubs.

The reality: It’s like any other city: dirty, crowded and noisy. There is also traffic. Lots of it. Driving 8 miles in 45 minutes to work everyday is hardly glamorous.

The perception: Entertainment is king.

The reality: Indeed, many films and commercials are filmed in LA, but many of those productions are beginning to make their way elsewhere as tax breaks for shooting elsewhere are proving to be worth the industry’s while.

The perception: Cool internships are a ticket behind the velvet ropes.

The reality: Don’t count on it. We all would like to think the lifestyle of an intern such as Lauren Conrad from The Hills is possible, but let’s be honest, she’s just a glorified reality star.

That’s not to say that LA reality is as harsh as all that. For instance:

1. California is quite possibly the most environmentally diverse state in the country, LA residents are only hours away from some of the best beaches, mountains and state parks in the United States. Check out Point Dume, a beach in Malibu that will make you feel lucky to be alive.
2. There are many great job opportunities for those of us involved in the communication field. Many advertising agencies and PR firms are headquartered in Los Angeles, including TBWA\Chiat\Day, a full-service advertising agency where I interned, and I found it to be my most valuable work experience to date.
3. The Getty Museum is possibly the coolest museum I have ever visited. I know cool and museum aren’t often synonymous, but when a museum stands on a cliff in Santa Monica with a full cactus garden and views of the entire city, it’s pretty incredible.

I could also go on about the spectacular weather, or the awesome hikes that take you to the Hollywood sign, but I think you get the idea.

So while you think you may know what to expect from Los Angeles, the truth is it is a pretty remarkable place… with much more to offer than a chance encounter with Paris Hilton.