OK. Here's a little background.

I am 18 years old and am finishing my freshman year at college (Northeastern University). I started playing poker in high school with buddies and as soon as I turned 18 I deposited $100 into PartyPoker. I lost it all in a day. I deposited another $100 the next day and I haven't looked back.

First semester of school I focused hard on my classes and did my work and got decent grades (3.0 GPA - needed for scholarship). The begining of this year, however, I started running really hot and turned my 2k bankroll (for NL100) into what is now ~50,000. I am currently 9 tabling NL$1,000 like a madman and I feel my roll is plenty big enough to handle the swings.

Anyways, back to the school part. This semester I have "fallen off" somewhat and am not caring as much about class/getting good grades. I worry I will not get my 3.0 to keep my scholarship ($8,000/yr) and my parents will be very upset. I have slept through countless classes (also one quiz and ALMOST one final) due to staying up to the wee hours of the morning playing poker. There are days where I will win $8,000 in a few hours (and then lose it all shortly after) so the money isn't much of a factor. Classes are over for the year and I have one final left.

This week alone I feel like I have barely left my room since I started 9 tabling NL$1,000. Perhaps I am addicted to poker but I really like to play it and make money. I feel that I could make it very well simply by playing online for the next couple of years and occasionally stopping by Turning Stone for their uncapped 10/20 game (which I will soon be rolled for).

This summer I have no plans. I used to lifeguard for 3 years and I love that job but I can make more money in one day of poker than I can make in the whole summer lifeguarding. I have a feeling I will spend a lot of the summer sitting around (probably on my patio) playing online poker trying to keep building this bankroll.

I have learned a lot about bankroll managment over the past 4 months since I hit my awesome heater. In January, I was playing NL$100 maybe 3-4 tables at a time. Took some shots at 1/2 and 2/4 and found I could do pretty well there playing a LAGish game vs the fish. Before I knew it I was taking shots at 10/20 with a 25-30kish bankroll.

Needless to say, that didn't go well and I lost about 1/2 of it. I went back to NL 400 and grinded out for a few weeks till I hit 600NL. Followed the fish around and collected some bucks and now I am doing NL1000.

At the moment, I haven't spent any of my poker winnings other than to play poker. If I do decide to "go pro" there are a lot of things I would need to keep in mind to pay for and budget around. I think it could be a great experience living on my own for a couple years playing poker online and live until the craze dies down in which case I will go back to college to study architecture, something I always wanted to do. But I just can't focus on school when I know I have this awesome opportunity waiting for me.

I know you guys see these posts a lot but I would like to get some advice. Thanks in advance.

-James