Please help, I must make a decision this afternoon

What is the best option for me now? I am 23 years old, currently a teaching assistant, but I will have my degree next spring (2005) I currently make 12,000 a year, but my income should go up to 30,000 after I get my degree. I have a roth ira that is worth about 500 dollars but somehow it is losing money. It is invested in SHRAX. I was with Primerica, but I have heard a lot of bad things about them, so I stopped contributing, plus the fact my money was getting less and less ( I actually contributed 600) I also have money going into state retirement which is manditory, but I don't know how much it is worth. Now an ING rep is here today talking about a 403b plan and I NEED to start saving for retirement, but I really don't know what I should do. I use those calculators and they basically tell me I will never have enough money to retire. But, I'm only 23!!! How can I not have enough time to save?

[MRGALT2U]

Hello! You are trying to cover too much ground for me to
be of much help. I will say that I never thought much about retirement until I was about 48, and I was gone by 50. So..............with a little luck and some
creativity you can start late and still do it. Obviously
better to start early though.