If you already like the slimness & thinking of school then the retina is what you want. I like the mac air.
Get the "normal" MacBook Pro. You need a lot of storage for video and photo editing, and with the money you've saved from the Retina, get a set of applications that do a great job with your editing, and max out your laptop - 2.9 GHz, 8 GB RAM, etc. Retina is overrated (though it might be a better fit for you then many others). Go with the non-Retina Pro.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.