
I’d love it if you did! But you also need to do what’s best for you. If BC has what you want (academically, socially, spiritually) and it falls within your budget, by all means commit!

Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library

That is such a real feeling, you have all my sympathy. Here’s one of the secrets: taking care of yourself so that you can finish the project is part of the project. I highly recommend focusing on getting good sleep, eating reasonably good meals, and doing a couple of other things that make you feel in control and on top of things. Then take another look at your project after a couple of days and see if it looks less daunting. And ask for help if you need it! Your adviser, your friendly librarians, the folks at the Connors Learning Center, we’re all here to help you through.

Bapst Services and Collections are managed by a team that divides its time between the Bapst and O’Neill Libraries. Collection Development is overseen by my talented colleague Nina Bogdanovsky, while library services are managed by Lida Supernaw (Daytime) and Morgan Wilson (Evening), with support from other colleagues at O’Neill and a team of student employees. Bapst currently has no Head Librarian due to a decision made several years ago to shift collection development responsibilities to O’Neill.

I polled BC Libraries staff. They say these are all worth your attention:

A red grouper, a common Atlantic Ocean fish, has an average length of 2ft. Assuming their max girth is 1/4 of their length, the typical area of a grouper would be 1 sq. ft. According to the most recent BC Fact Book, O’Neill has 206,910 sq ft (bit.ly/FactBook2425). So, you could hypothetically fit 206,910 groupers in O’Neill, though they’d require way too much water and zero bookshelves.

Actual Romans used both, sometimes in the same document. Consistent spelling and numbering are a relatively recent phenomenon. And clockmakers are making art, so they have options on how to display things. I think it looks cool and old old-timey. Check out my friend the Oxford Classical Dictionary for a discussion: bit.ly/bc-roman

It depends very much on what your brother likes, but I’m going to go out on a limb and suppose he enjoys gaming. In that case, perhaps a steam gaming controller? If he’s into music and you’re flush with cash, perhaps some really nice headphones? And there are always books! Books! Books!

My assistants tell me there’s an excess of bunnies all over the Boston area. Rabbits breed like… well, rabbits (bit.ly/audubon-cottontail), which may explain why there are so many. It’s illegal to hunt within 500 feet of a dwelling without the owner’s permission (bit.ly/kill-the-wabbit), so it’s unlikely your friend can realize their Elmer Fudd dreams at BC.

It might be helpful to remember that, as bleak as the world seems right now, there are moments of beauty and joy that exist around you each day that make life worth living. Also, remember that, as cruel as others might act, you have the capacity to show compassion, generosity, and kindness to those around you.

Love has a great capacity to find you when you’re being yourself and not worrying about it. It also tends to have awkward timing. Be patient, be yourself. There are many possible someones for everyone.

Solid choice.

This question is a pressing one for most people, so it’s a great service to them that you asked. I wish I had an answer. The difficulty is it’s different for everyone. Perhaps rephrase the question: how can I find my purpose and meaning? Father Himes (1947-2022), a beloved professor of theology at BC, said to ask yourself three key questions: What brings me joy? What am I good at? To whom can I be of service? Your meaning and purpose is where those three overlap. Here’s his famous lecture: bit.ly/himes-3key