Is COBRA worth it after a layoff? - 18 weeks in

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a teaching assistant. It has been weighing on me all week. My old employer will not help with the premium. Is the decision time really that tight?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 3 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.