
Just say “hi” and start a conversation about literally anything other than how attractive you think they are.
Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
Oh dear. I’ve heard about this happening. You are not alone. One of my helpers has the following suggestions to get you through: 1) explore a campus club for pure fun and social connections–perhaps one that is a bit out of your comfort zone. 2) Get off campus on the weekends; ride the T and explore Brookline, Boston, Cambridge, etc. 3) Allow yourself to have some downtime–it’s okay. Have a wonderful year!
My library assistants all love learning new things, which is why they work in a library. Why not learn some chemistry? If not now, when? But talk it over with your advisor to make sure you’ve got enough room for your major, minor, & core courses.
That sounds really disappointing, and I have no answer for why it keeps happening. With groups, sometimes there’s more going on than simple qualifications. Maybe it would help to get to know some members?
There are many ways for people to feel affirmed in their gender. Gender affirmation surgery is just one pathway and refers to a wide range of care that supports folks in feeling and being authentically themselves. For people who do want to become parents, even after gender affirming care, there are many different ways that can take place, biologically or otherwise.
There are a number of books that have more information on the history of gender affirming surgery, including “A History of Transgender Medicine: From Margins to Mainstream” (bit.ly/bcl-history-trans-healthcare) and “Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource by and for Transgender Communities” (bit.ly/bcl-trans-selves).
Talking about money can be really challenging, but it sounds like it might be time to sit down and have a heart-to-heart with your roommate. Being transparent about your economic situation, about how their choices to not contribute to furnishings are impacting you financially and emotionally, and setting a limit to what you’re willing to buy could be helpful starting points for that conversation.
Liquids and walls don’t mix, so I asked my helpers what they prefer, and wow, do they have opinions! Here’s the tally:
Coffee: 17
Tea: 12
Other: 9
Other Answers:
-Coffee first, then black tea, then herbal tea
-Both! (morning coffee and afternoon tea)
-1 pot of tea then 1 cup of coffee
-Café au lait & cortado
-Coffee for waking up in the morning, tea for relaxing in the afternoon/evening!
-Coffee before noon, tea after noon.
-BOTH!
-Coffee first thing in the morning but tea thereafter
-Dr. Pepper
You’re not going to like this: I won’t say yes or no. If you & your roommate can’t resolve differences, talk to your RA about it. If that doesn’t help, talk to your Resident Director: bit.ly/BCRoomies. If this is for kicks & giggles, randomly pick dorm-mates as divorce lawyers and a judge, and hold a hearing for who gets custody of the teddy bear.
All the usual things: show up on time prepared (which means understand both the classroom material and its links to lab experiences), be well-rested & fed, and follow instructions. The less usual things: be curious, ask questions, and collaborate well with your lab partner. To get a leg up on classroom material, make an appointment with a tutor at the CFLC: bit.ly/BC-connors
I’m thinking about Hume’s historical fallacy and Stephen Hawking’s comment that the law of entropy is our experience of time. Over time, everything gradually falls apart–people age, buildings fail, civilizations collapse, mountains erode. That’s how we know time is passing. But Hume correctly points out that our observation of what has happened before is not necessarily related to what will happen. It’s a rough time to be a wall (or a human), but this seems like it leaves room for hope.
When BC was founded in 1863 all of it was in Boston (hence the name), then it moved to its present location (“the heights”), where part of the campus is in Newton’s Chestnut Hill neighborhood. (bit.ly/bc-history-collection). Fun fact: the city line goes right through the southeast corner of ONeill Library. You can also find an old but still accurate city line street sign if you know where to look.