Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
![AM I ABLE TO SURVIVE THIS SEMESTER? @5:31AM [Responses: 不, 你 行. (Out of the question.), Only if you believe <3]](https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/AW112918-8.jpg)
You really will survive this semester. Look for friends or family willing to listen to your struggles and give you the support and space you need, like the people who answered you here. Good luck with final projects and exams!
End-of-semester work is always stressful. You’ll get through it all, and you’ll ultimately be proud of what you accomplish, but in the middle of it, that’s often hard to see. I have faith in you. Good luck!
I once knew an old but energetic man named Mr. Mehta; he was always busy, always in a hurry. I didn’t see him for a few months, and then one day he appeared in crutches & bandages. I asked him what happened. “I went under the bus!” he exclaimed cheerfully. But how could he be so happy, since his injuries slowed him down so much. “I am able to retire! And I am alive to be with my grandchildren!” He died a year later, possibly as a result of the injuries. I’ll bet you’re much better at taking exams than getting just the right amount of injured by buses. Good luck on your finals, and stay away from those buses!
It’s more profitable to sell packaged, prepared foods than raw materials, and there’s a market for prepared food because it liberated housewives (and now househusbands as well) from kitchen labor. The trouble is that foods designed to spend time in transit, in warehouses, and on supermarket shelves has to be preserved in some way, which damages the flavor of fresh food, so manufacturers compensate by adding salt, fat, and/or sugars, which I’m told make food more appealing to the mouth, but cause problems elsewhere in the body. I recommend the book Food, Inc.: How Industrial Food is Making us Sicker, Fatter and Poorer — And What You can do About it (O’Neill Library HD9005 .F6582 2009) or the DVD (O’Neill Library 3rd Floor Media HD9005 .F66 2009)
If I could chuckle I would. Your full disclosure is safe here! It’s the season for a bit of overindulgence, no?
The images on those posters don’t seem particularly representative of ordinary people, that’s for sure. If people decide to aspire to those body shapes, that’s a lot of potential failure, because human bodies are delightfully varied, and really shouldn’t be asked to fit such a narrow range of shapes. You might be interested in the anthology of essays The Politics of Women’s Bodies: Sexuality, Appearance, and Behavior (O’Neill Library HQ1206 .P56 2010).
Spend time alone. For real. Shut down social media for the day and go by yourself to a new place. Say take the T into downtown Boston and explore. You get the idea — the solo road trip. Other tips: rekindle a lost childhood friendship; spend time with an elderly relative; and tap into what gave you joy when you were a kid. Or join that club or organization (or get a job) you may have been too embarrassed or fearful to embrace in high school. And allow yourself to say no and yes.
It’s a great goal! The Office of Health Promotion is all about life balance – you can schedule an Individual Health Coaching session with them here: bit.ly/BC-health-promo. For better time management with academics, I’d also recommend the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors) for their Academic Coaching.
Don’t go it alone; there is help. Please go and see the folks at University Counseling (bit.ly/BC-counseling). Wishing you a brighter future.
No! No person ‘sucks.’ Sometimes my human friends are tired, or cranky, and they act a little ‘sucky,’ but they don’t ‘suck’ to the core, which means you don’t either. It might be cliché,’ but have you ever heard the phrase, “fake it till you make it?” Scholarly warning…this link is not a scholarly source!…But, there are some good ideas and an interesting chart that might help you ‘make it’ better. bit.ly/wikipedia-fake-it If you still feel like your life is cruddy, the people in Counseling Services (bit.ly.BC-counseling) are definitely the people you could talk with about your life.
I’m sad that you’re that sad. If the sadness is impacting on your life, please contact the folks at University Counseling (bit.ly/BC-counseling). They’re there to help.
I know, life really is hard sometimes. I have full faith that if you keep at it, you’ll get what you need. You’re working with the Career Center about the internship, right? (bit.ly/BC-career)
Thanks for being such a caring friend. University Counseling Services (bit.ly/BCCounselingSvcs) can help you: “Students and others who desire psychological advice regarding concerns about others may make an appointment.”
I think T.S. Eliot was wrong about which month is cruelest, at least for college students and professors! October’s a busy month, for sure. When things calm down a little, take some time for yourself to reflect on what’s most important to you; you might find some of your commitments can be adjusted to fit your priorities. Sometimes, feeling overwhelmed comes from making someone else’s priorities your own. Also, it’s important to take breaks, even if it means having to tell someone that the thing that was going to be ready Friday will have to wait ’til Monday. I hope you can put this tired & busy time behind you soon!
Venmo? GoFundMe? No, but seriously, if you’re food insecure, that’s a problem. I’d talk to the Financial Aid office to see about options. Start by visiting the Office of Student Services in Lyons; if you’re an undergrad, they can usually get you a next-day or a day later appt. (But if you’re on a flex plan, it might be just that you’re finishing the “bonus bucks” on your flex plan before the actual dining bucks kick in.) Good luck!
Great that you’re taking a proactive approach. I’d recommend talking to University Counseling Services (bit.ly/BC-counseling). They can probably give you ideas on how to ward it off and stay happy and healthy this winter.
Sounds like solid advice. Replace worry about your own culpability with concern for the welfare of those around you.
If you feel this way for more than a short while, I would advise contacting the Academic Advising Center (bit.ly/BC-academic-advising) or visiting University Counseling (bit.ly/BC-counseling) or Campus Ministry’s Pastoral Counseling (bit.ly/bc-campus-ministry) for some direction on getting your motivation back.
Oh, dear. If any of you think it’s cold now, just wait until January/February. (Or do you already know and are anticipating?) Prepare now; get your layers of clothing in order. Think about the good parts of winter: hot chocolate and snowball fights. And complaining … New Englanders always talk about the weather. Remember, though, you will always have a warm reception here in the library! (You are welcome to flex in your Canada Goose if you can; sometimes they are very bulky.)
Dropping something that feels like a burden is not failure, it’s making a choice. There are lots of ways to have a happy life. If you’ve had a single goal (even one you didn’t want) for a long time, it may take a while to get out of that mode. That’s OK. Practically speaking, it’s not a bad idea to stop by BC’s Career Center–I can guarantee you’re not the only student they’ve talked to who’s made a similar choice. bit.ly/BC-findajob. Be kind to yourself, and listen to what you enjoy, to what you do for its own sake. That’s where new passions tend to hide.
