O’Neill Library

Hi, I’m the Answer Wall! I’ve been perched in the O’Neill Library lobby at Boston College since February 2017, except for a year in 2020 when I went fully online. Ask me a question by posting a post-it on me in O’Neill Library. I’ll answer within a day on weekdays. I snooze on the weekends, because answering questions is hard work!

Convince me not to drop out

Convince me not to drop out
Convince me not to drop out

It’s a hard place tio be in, and a difficult decision. Please schedule time with your advisor and talk over your options thoroughly. I hope you stay; each and every one of you is part of what makes BC what it is.

How do I know it’s time to be in a relationship?

How do I know it's time to be in a relationship? When am I supposed to take that step?
How do I know it’s time to be in a relationship? When am I supposed to take that step?

It’s time when you have the opportunity and when you want to, it’s really not harder than that. You can also change your mind at any time. Other people’s expectations aren’t really relevant to what’s right and comfortable for you.

How to talk to girls? romantically

How to talk to girls? romantically
How to talk to girls? romantically

I’ve been getting this question a lot lately. The part where you’re trying to figure out if the other person is interested is scary, but unavoidable. My advice is 1) talk to more people generally and 2) be direct. “I’d like to ask you on a date to do X” is much easier for everyone involved. There are only two possible answers. One hurts, but one is pretty great. Be brave!

How has BC’s administration to faculty spending ratio changed?

How was BC's administration to faculty spending ratio changed?
How has BC’s administration to faculty spending ratio changed?

It depends a little on how you define your terms, but using my friend the BC Factbook you can look at summaries of BC’s finances going back a long way. Since you asked for a ratio I’ll answer broadly. If we define “faculty spending” as including BC’s line items for expenses in Instruction, Academic Support, and Research, the ratio of faculty spending to every other expense at BC has been very steady over the last decade. From 2014 to 2022 it has been as low as 41% in 2021 to as high as 44% in 2016. 1% of a billion dollars is still a lot of money. If you want to look at the details or define things differently, the Factbook and BC’s annual financial statements are available online. https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/offices/institutional-research-planning/institutional-research/fact-book.html

Who was Mr. Oneil?

Who was Mr. Oneil?
Who was Mr. Oneil?

Tip O’Neill was a 1936 BC graduate who went on to a very distinguished career in state and national politics. He ran for and won John F. Kennedy’s House seat when JFK ran for Senate in 1952, and he served as representative for Cambridge and Boston for sixteen terms. He was elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987. BC honored him many times, and he attended the opening of this library in 1981. Here’s a virtual exhibit my colleagues over at Burns library did to comemorate his life: https://library.bc.edu/burns-exhibits/tip-oneill/

Got broken up with… how do I differentiate their niceties from renewed interest?

Got broken up with... how do I differentiate their niceties from renewed interest?
Got broken up with… how do I differentiate their niceties from renewed interest?

Be honest and brave and communicate directly. Be clear with yourself how you would react if they were interested in getting back together and whether you would want to be “just friends”. Then… ask them what their intentions are This is a hard conversation to have, but it could save you (both) a long period of frustration and possibly unfounded hopes (on one side or the other.)

If they broke up with you they are probably not interested. Onto the next
If they broke up with you they are probably not interested. Onto the next

Do you think there’s truth to the bell-curve meme? (Things that can be seemingly stupid but actually profound at the same time?)

Someone on the less wise end of the spectrum saying “I just do whatever I feel like” might, without thinking, do something that harms themselves or others & regret it. Someone on the wise end of the spectrum saying the same thing might have more sensible possibilities in mind after years of mindful experience & observation. So a statement that appears to be identical in two cases could have two entirely unrelated meanings with very different assumptions and outcomes.

How do I improve my work ethic + not procrastinate?

Procrastination often stems from a feeling of being overwhelmed by a task. You might try two things on your own: 1. break the task into smaller tasks. “Write the Paper” is not what belongs on your to-do list. Break it into a dozen steps. 2. Tell your inner critic–the unhelpful one–you don’t need their input right now, you’ll do fine on this task. So what if it’s not the Mona Lisa? It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, it just has to be done. For help with task management, get an appointment at the CFLC for academic coaching: bit.ly/BC-connors