Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
I feel lonely sometimes late at night when there’s nobody around, and the stress of holding up this building sometimes gets me down. It’s good to reach out when that happens. If you can’t find someone here, look up some old friends and give them a call. I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.
I asked one of my helpers, and she said that the vestibules as you enter Stokes N are both very toasty, and surprisingly nice places to sit and concentrate. The warmest place she’s found (she’s done a lot of research on this) is in the cloak room at the Burns Library, but it would be a terrible study space. Same for the warmest spot she’s found in O’Neill; the level 2 women’s restroom!`
That is so sad, and I can see how it would be upsetting to live in a setting where such a terrible thing has happened. Methods of removing spirits vary widely between cultures and faiths. I would approach your spiritual advisor and ask what, if anything, is the appropriate action.
Almost everyone feels that way sometimes. But if you feel that way often, or it’s interfering with your ability to enjoy life and do things, I’d have a talk with the folks at University Counseling (bit.ly/BC-counseling) and see if they can’t find some strategies to make you feel more secure and happier about your life.
I’m afraid the answer is study – but maybe you can study more effectively, if you don’t have the time to study for more hours. I’d check in with both the professor and the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors) for advice and tutoring.
You see, being a library wall, I’ve come to know academics pretty well. They’re all a little… eccentric. A whole lot of specialized knowledge does that to you. One famous academic once referred to it as the “re-entry from orbit” problem (bit.ly/percy-orbit) You spend weeks or months or even years working on an intractable problem that few people in the world even know exists. It can be hard to return to everyday life. Does that answer the specific weirdness you’ve observed?
Maybe, or maybe it’s a time management issue? It would be good to figure out. Talk with your advisor, perhaps try Academic Coaching at the CFLC (bit.ly/BC-connors) and if you’re really stressed, University Counseling (bit.ly/BC-counseling), to see how you can find the right level of commitment in your busy life.
Using Library spaces for anything other than typical library activities must be approved by library administration. I think you should start with our public services guy, Scott Britton (scott.britton@bc.edu)
You could do worse than to start with Khan Academy, but there are some experts here on campus who could answer that question in depth: the Math Department: bit.ly/bc-math-dept
Sounds like this is the math version of believing 6 impossible things before breakfast?
It’s not an either/or situation – you can major in any subject and still get in the pre-med requirements. People who can help you figure out your path in life are your major advisor, the Pre-Health Program (bit.ly/BCPremedProg). and the Career Center (bit.ly/BC-career).
Thank you for reporting this issue. I will have my library assistants test the cables and replace those that are not functioning.
Tough choice between two good quarterbacks. One of my library friends seems to think Lamar Jackson is a slightly better option. As of the time of responding to this question, The Ravens are tied for the lead in points scored so far this season with 110. The rest of the AFC North doesn’t look very strong right now, so that could lead to more victories later on. Some concerns are that the Ravens’ game against the Dolphins may have made them look better than they are, and ending a drive by letting Mark Ingram try and rush for a TD has been pretty effective so far. Choosing to end a drive by handing the ball off could mean less points for Jackson going forward, but if he’s able to consistently lead his team down the field with his arm or his legs he should be able to rack up a lot of points both on the field and in fantasy football.
It must be confusing, all these Eagles in your life. Up here, we call them Eagles. They’re no mere birds. Go, Eagles!
Hair loss could have many underlying causes, many of them genetic and irreversible. (More info: bit.ly/mayo-baldness) Even treatment for reversible hair loss has only had moderate success. A particular type of hair loss (alopecia areata) occurs starting in childhood, and is the result of an otherwise benign autoimmune disorder. A recent review of the literature (bit.ly/bc-alopecia) found moderate success with some treatments for this condition. Embrace who you are! I think many bald humans look wise & sophisticated.
![Do girls poop? [response: Why?]](https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/AW09252019-03-e1569504099578.jpg)
Yes, in fact – can you believe it – girls behave like actual human beings. As to why, the body is fairly adept at taking the nutrients it needs from food, but there’s always stuff left over. Without pooping, things would get pretty uncomfortable pretty fast.
I asked one of my helpers about this, and she wrote back: LOL. She added AJ is a go-to soothing drink, think: after pre-k circle time, hospital recoveries, and easy on the tummy during flight. Even though it’s a crowd pleaser with the under 10 crowd, it’s still an acceptable big kid beverage. If you want to branch out, though, this is an excellent time of year for local apple cider.
Yup. One of my assistants tells me that if you’re after some good, easy-drinking, cheap cider, check out Downeast and Bantam as well. Other Boston cideries that are doing better things than any of those places are Artifact Cider (with a Stranger Things themed cider), Prospect Ciderworks, and Far From The Tree out in Salem. If you’re really looking for wild stuff, splurge for a bottle of Farnum Hill Cider. It’s a far cry more expensive than Angry Orchard, but it’s real good.
It’s salad with too much dressing.
The nice folks at the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors) are experts at helping students with getting better at studying. Get in touch with them and ask them about Academic Coaching.
Though the word “mathematics” was coined by the Pythagoreans in 6th C. BC Greece, it’s clear that wasn’t the first math. Records of arithmetic, algebra, and geometry go back much further, to areas in the near East, near modern Egypt and Iraq, and it’s quite possible forms of mathematics existed long before the printed word (or number). Here are a few dozen books on the topic: bit.ly/bc-ancient-math
