haircut advice (long to medium or short)

i'm 19 and i've had my hair long (about four inches from my waist) and layered for four or five years--and i've been growing it from around shoulder-length since i was six or seven, so that's the last time i had anything close to short hair. i'm kind of tired of it and i want a change, especially because i'm in college and applying for internships and stuff and i think i need to look more professional. i think bobs are really cute, and i'd love to try a medium/longish one, but i really want opinions about how it'll look and i'd rather not ask my friends cause they'll make a big deal out of cutting my hair.

this is a picture of my current hair. it's not actually as reddish as it looks in the picture. it's on the darker side of medium brown, and the natural highlights in it tend to be blond, not red (i've never dyed it and right now i don't plan on it until i need to start covering up grays.) that gives you an idea of the length/style and how i look. my hair is naturally sort of beachy waves with a lot of body, but it straightens really well and i pretty much wear it straight half the time and wavy half the time. it's really important to me to still be able to wear it both ways if i cut it.

some hairstyles i like
hayden panettiere
olivia munn
ashley greene
selena gomez
lizzie olsen
random girl whose hair i really like

here's the thing: i don't like change, so even though i'm pretty sure i'd like my hair once i had it cut, i don't know if i can actually get myself to ask someone to chop it all off--i mean, that's a lot of hair and i'd probably have a heart attack from shock when i first looked in the mirror. but i really think that as i'm moving toward the last half of my college career and looking for internships and stuff, it would be good to have hair that looks more polished and professional. on top of that, i think shorter hair is really cute. i'm just scared to take the plunge because i haven't had my hair short in more than ten years. i'm also a little worried because even though i'm getting sort of bored with having had the same hairstyle for so long and i'd like to look a little more mature and polished, i don't want to cut my hair and then never grow it long again. i guess i'm scared that once i cut it, i won't get it to the same length again? i'm not sure if that made sense.

so here are my questions ( i know i have a ton, but cutting my hair would be a huge deal for me and i haven't had more than a four-inch trim in quite a while so i have a lot of questions): do you personally think i should cut my hair? why or why not? which of the haircuts i posted do you think would look best on me, or is there something else you think would look nice (pic please!)? how do you think my hair will react to being cut, and do you think the waviness and fullness would get out of control at a shorter length? that's a huge concern for me. i don't want to cut my hair short and then find out it mushrooms out because there's nothing weighing it down anymore. does anyone have tips for making getting a fairly drastic cut less of a shock? if i do go in stages, what would you suggest as those stages (specific lengths and even pictures would be so great)?

i wasn't sure if i should post this in the short hair forum, the long hair forum, or here, but i settled here because i don't want just people with long hair telling me not to cut it or people who are short hair fans telling me to cut it. if this wasn't a good choice, please go ahead and move it :)

note: the absolute shortest i'm comfortable going is chin-length (i'd go a little shorter in the back, but not much--my hairline grows fairly low and i have zero interest in something that would involve a super-short nape or anything), so please don't suggest pixies, crops, etc. some girls totally rock them, but they aren't a style i'd like on myself because they don't fit with my personality or the image i convey, plus they're just way too short for me to even consider at this point.

anyway, i'd love opinions from absolutely anyone! stories of people who have done this and lived to tell the tale are especially welcome, and professional opinions would be wonderful, since i don't have a particular stylist to consult.

thanks so much, and sorry for getting so wordy! i'm just a rambler and this is important, so i wanted to be as specific as possible.
Christina

Honestly, I look at your hair and your face and see you could do about any cut/color you wanted. You have that look. I think the biggest concern is your emotions and being willing to let go and see what happens.....not being in control. I would be more than willing to email you back and forth and do a consultation with you on what might work best for you and your hair. I am unsure where you are located in the USA so not sure of the feasibility of that but I am more than willing if you are. if you would like that, please send me a message via private messenger and we can figure out the best way of communication. I have done hair professionally for 15+ years and have lots of experience in Locks of Love/Wigs for Kids donations.

I think you should try it. It's always fun to try it at least one time (not counting as a kid) and it does grow back, and I would say go for something like this:
http://officialchelseastaub.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/SHORTHAIR.jpg
Or if that's too short then maybe just a slightly longer version of it. And I would say if you want to donate it then just cut it all off and donate it, or you can also go in stages if you're absolutely terrified, but I think that would make for a greater chance in you just cutting off some of it and then stopping and just having it slightly shorter than now

You could always try short (just above the eyebrow) BLUNT bangs as an alternative, they go AMAZINGLY WELL with long hair. If you still want the bob after that, then you know it is something in you and you'll have to do it for YOU.

Yes, your hair looks great long like that and very sexy.  (And I LOVE long hair.)  But let's look at a few things.  Can you get away with it?

I'm not jumping in to recommend one way or the other right now, but just to correct Sparrow's math: Hair grows, on average, about 1/2 inch per month.  So 3 inches = about 6 months, not "a couple" (which I always read as "2").

I think all of the pics you have posted are great options,  but ultimately, you have to decide what you are most comfortable with doing & how you want to proceed.   

The days of short hair and professional are past. You can still have long hair and be professional. So if you want to keep it long then do. However you seem to wanting a change at the same time. In which case i like the Olivia Munn picture the best with ashley green as a close second. Depending on the hours of your internship shorter hair may be more practical. If in the future you can't grow the length, hair extensions are always a good substitute until it does grow. Let us know what you decide, and if you cut it how you get on. Goodluck.