Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
Spring semester always seems to be rougher on humans than fall. With fall you have all the energy saved up from the summer, but spring semester starts suddenly and it tends to be cold and snowy, and that makes everything a little more physically challenging, too. Take care of yourself. Get lots of rest. Try and stay cozy and warm.
When people share 4 walls, it’s a good idea to check with others about inviting guests, and to make it clear whether it’s an everyone-together event, or a pair-bonding event. It’s reasonable to want to want clarity about how your shared space is being used & whether you’re part of things. It doesn’t need to be a confrontation; just ask politely if they can let you know, so you can plan to be there if you’re to be a part of things or plan to trek to the library if not. Forced triples are awkward & new for everyone; try to let go of your annoyance, but don’t abandon your own needs in the process.
![BC C[?] Team](https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/aw013019-3.jpg)
I’m sorry, I’m still a little in the dark here. BC ___ team?
You could go to the floor plans (bit.ly/BC-ResHalls, click on floor plans link) and count rooms of 4-person apartments in all the halls, and divide the number of people who *want* 4-person apartments by the number of beds (apts x 4). The trouble is, the number of people who want 4-person apartments is the big unknown: X.
It has always been thus. Actually, it’s not as cold as it once was. The “Little Ice Age” that bedeviled Europe & North America for several hundred years ended at about the onset of the 20th Century. Colonial era Boston was much colder than now. For warmth, I recommend the hot chocolate at El Pelon and a scarf and hat.
According to Investopedia, a commodity is “a basic good used in commerce that is interchangeable with other commodities of the same type.” (bit.ly/investo-commodity) One company’s coal is the same as another company’s coal. If audit is a commodity, that means one company’s audit is interchangeable with another’s. Choice would be based solely on price.
EXCELLENT QUESTION!!! The answer to this dilemma would depend on two major factors: 1. The type of cat you would be getting: The pets we own say a lot about who we are. Think about the vibe you get from someone who owns a Sphynx cat (Lady Gaga) versus the vibe you get from someone who owns a Siamese cat (Elizabeth Taylor). 2. The type of tattoo you would be getting: The tattoos we have say a lot about who we are. Think about the vibe you get from a person who has a Chinese tattoo (Chris Evans) versus the vibe you get from someone who has a Polynesian tattoo (Dwayne Johnson). Once you know exactly the kind of cat and type of tattoo you are considering, then you can thoroughly assess the impact, cost effectiveness, benefits, and implications associated with each option.
The number of arguments for or against the existence of God is so vast that it would be a challenge even to fit the *types* of arguments on a post-it. I recommend searching “existence of god” in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy for starters: bit.ly/stanford-philosophy. You can also see what we have in BC Libraries for books & other items: bit.ly/does-God-exist. As to the cookie recipe, I’ll have my assistants contact someone & get back to you.
Update 2/1/19: Dining Services says, “Our Eagle’s Nest chocolate chip cookie is actually very similar to any basic chocolate chip cookie recipe out there. Most vary on the quality/ quantity of vanilla and chocolate chips. The secret to the Eagle’s Nest is that the bakery garnishes them with extra chocolate chips on top of the cookie, instead of only mixing throughout the dough.”
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There’s lots happening! How about cheering on a BC Athletics team? Women’s Basketball plays Duke this Thursday @ 7pm. If you’re into the arts, take a look at the Robsham Theater calendar (https://bit.ly/2HytlAJ). The Vagina Monologues opens February 14. And with 273 student organizations (https://bit.ly/2sPQCnk), there are many options for interesting things on campus. Have fun exploring!
Sometimes for the good, sometimes not. Many times, for no discernible reason at all. There are some who think there is an underlying order that mere mortals can’t perceive, and this gives them solace. There are others who believe there is no underlying order, and that when you understand that, you can let go of suffering. My honest answer: I don’t know.
I am in touch with walls all over campus (library walls are all close cousins), but mainly in academic and administrative buildings. Residence hall walls are notoriously tight-lipped, but that’s as it should be: what they’ve seen, they’ll carry to their graves.
Unfortunately, no. Alumni do not have access to the Agora portal or Canvas courses, except for a brief grace period of a month or two after graduation. If you want to save materials from courses, download them now; don’t wait until just before graduation, because professors often either revise or turn off access to courses shortly after the course is over.
It could be the onset of the Winter Blahs. Experts suggest sleeping a bit more, eating healthy foods and exercise. Or perhaps you have a lot of work to do that isn’t interesting (papers, reading, etc.) In this case, try to find a little time to do something you really enjoy. Having even a small choice in what you do can help lift your spirits. If you feel your lack of interest goes deeper, it could indicate the onset of something more serious. BC Counseling Services can help you determine if this is something you should get help with.
Bapst used to be open 24/5, but a few years ago it became clear that it just wasn’t big enough for all the late-night studiers. Also, Bapst only has one type of acceptable study space: Super Quiet. So, the decision was made to move overnight staff to O’Neill so that more people could study with more variety of study spaces.
You will not like my answer: it depends. It depends on your reason for grad school. To get an advanced degree that opens doors for job opportunities outside academia? Then the timing is based on some mix of practical questions (e.g., cost, loans) and your ambition. To plunge yourself into the study of a question you could spend a lifetime pursuing? Then the timing is based on your readiness to set aside a normal life, and defer ordinary pleasures (security, family, stability) perhaps for a decade or more.
Yes! Campus Counseling Services (http://bit.ly/BCCounselingSvcs) is set up for that, and Campus Ministry offers pastoral counseling if you’re interested in a religious angle on those sorts of conversations.(http://bit.ly/bc-campus-ministry)
No need to apologize. Not knowing means you get to ask a question, and libraries exist for people with questions. And I must say, as the Answer Wall, I especially enjoy people with questions.
Well, my assistants called around campus, and though I don’t have an answer to “why,” I do have a clarification: BC does not offer financial aid to students who are not permanent residents or citizens. This is a decision made at levels higher than, say, the Student Services office, who only carries out policy. Federal financial aid, on the other hand, is only ever available to permanent residents or citizens. If you want to challenge that policy, I suggest garnering support from UGBC and approaching the administration.
The Wall can’t tell how to read the word suffer, so it has a couple of answers. TLDR: Dump them. If you mean “suffer” generally: Directly. Quickly. Trying to soften the blow or wait for a good time tends not to work out all that well. You’re under no obligation to stay somewhere that makes you unhappy. If “suffer” means you feel unwell the answer might be the same–but also consider reaching out to campus Counseling Services (bit.ly/BC-counseling) or Campus Ministry’s pastoral counseling (bit.ly/bc-campus-ministry), depending on what sort of advice you’d like. If you’re feeling unsafe, call BCPD
