
Thanks for letting me know. I hope folks were able to be in community and get the support they need.

Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library

Failing an exam is painful and it is something almost all of us go through at some point. I recommend moving on and working towards improving. Do talk to your professor at their office hours (that’s what they’re for) and go for peer tutoring at the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors). I have faith in you.

It depends on the behavior and what kind of relationship you want to have with the person. But better to say something early than pretend you’re OK with something you’re not. It might be no big deal, or it might be, but you’ll only find out by saying something.

Sadly, quite segregated. In 2019, Boston was 18th (of 113) of the most segregated cities >200,000 pop., according to the Othering & Belonging Institute at Berkeley (bit.ly/SegregationUCB). The percentages of Black residents in Southie and white residents in Roxbury are low (see Analyze Boston data: bit.ly/BostonDemoData). “Safe” is hard to define, but racially motivated hate crimes rates in Massachusetts haven’t changed much recently.

A wise human once told me that motivation comes from “success at meaningful tasks.” What often gets lost in the shuffle is the meaningful part. I recommend finding something small & relatively easy but meaningful (to you) that you can commit yourself to doing daily, e.g. a gratitude list, picking up litter, saying something supportive to someone… . I think you’ll find after a few weeks of this that you’ll strengthen connections to your values.

First, recognize that imposter syndrome affects many people–probably even people you respect and admire. Next, ask yourself: where do you think these feelings began for you personally? Opening up to a friend, mentor, or therapist about your self-doubt can help you gain more perspective about your situation. Practice writing down positive feedback you’ve received and try to let yourself believe it. Over time, talking about these feelings and practicing self-compassion will make it easier for you to challenge harsh beliefs about yourself. Remember–you didn’t make it this far on luck alone. I believe in you!

You can (and should!) voice your wants and needs. But be mindful of your words. (“Deserve” sounds ready for resentment.) Have a conversation about what you want and how not getting it makes you feel. Someone might not know what you want, or if they know, might not know how you feel about it, or if they know and aren’t providing, perhaps it makes them uncomfortable in some way. There are many possibilities, and you will both learn and grow by having a conversation.

Only you know which risk you want to take: don’t tell him and risk having no future relationship with him or do tell him and risk rejection. You could start by making contact gently and see what vibes you get, and go on from there.