Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
I’m so sorry you’re feeling sad all the time. That must be hard. I would begin by setting up an appointment with University Counseling Services: bit.ly/BC-counseling. I hear they’re quite busy, so it might take a while. In the meantime, if your sadness gets to be too strong and you don’t think you can wait to talk to someone, call the counseling center and ask to talk to the PEC (psychological emergency clinician), or text the national Crisis Text Line: 741741.
I don’t want you to do that either! I’m sorry you’re feeling that bad. Please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8355) right away, and/or immediately call Counseling Services (617-552-3310) or visit them in Gasson 001 and ask to speak to with the Psychological Emergency Clinician (PEC). If it’s not during work hours, call BC Police (617-552-4444) if you’re on campus or 911 if not. I and many, many people want you to get past this bad moment, and are ready to help.
? I wish I could offer you a shoulder, because the shoulder of a friend is often a good crying spot. If you want to cry alone, some humans use the shower. Others might go for a walk in the woods, perhaps the Hammond Pond Conservation Area, which you can access via a path from Suffolk Road, or the Webster Woods, accessible via the Hammond Pond Parkway.
It sounds like you know what the cause of this intense stress is. Try to reduce the amount of contact you have with people who stress you out. If you need space for yourself, try to find a place that is comfortable and peaceful; a space were you can relax, reflect, rest, or study for as long as you want or need to. The libraries have plenty of spaces that are conducive to relaxation, study or reflexion. My favorite is the area located at the 4th floor’s north end, where the soft chairs are. You ought to try it!
It’s wonderful to see students encouraging each other. And I agree – you’re doing gr8.
That’s great news! Congratulations. Keep it up with meetings and turning to help others. And thanks to the person posting in response with the BC meetings connection! Anyone reading this who wants a new start: I highly recommend a first step with that email: recovery@bc.edu
I can’t tell by looking at you, but hope you will check in with Health Services (bit.ly/BostonCollegeHealth) to rule out a physical cause, and then with the Office of Health Promotion (http://bit.ly/BCSleepy) to get some serious advice on improving your sleep.
Hmm, what do you mean by that? By “sub-terraine,” are you referring someone who lurks in the depths of the internet, or elsewhere on campus? The Wall would love to help, if you can clarify a bit more on your situation! If you don’t care to elaborate but feel that you’re in danger, you can always reach out to BC’s Sexual Assault Network 24-hour hotline at 617-552-2211. If this is actually a question about the game Battle Cats, you can find some tips here: bit.ly/battle-cats-subterranean
If 10 hours is necessary for you, or a personal priority, you will need to be judicious with how your spend your awake time and manage a massive workload. Ear plugs and a sleeping eye mask can help with making your sleep time more conducive to sleep. And take a break from technology before bedtime. The CDC provides an overview of sleep recommendations by age (bit.ly/cdc-sleep-needs) if you want to reconsider how much sleep is necessary for you to function at your best.
I’m sorry you’re getting such insufficient sleep at night that you’re falling asleep in class. I think your concern should be more about missing the most crucial hours of your BC education than about your professor’s attitudes, which could be any mix of annoyance, disregard, or concern. I do recommend apologizing to your professor & explaining the reason. I know one college teacher who had been annoyed about a sleeping student until he found out the student was working a full-time night job to pay tuition. If your reasons are less noble, maybe don’t mention them, but commit to changing habits so you can stay awake.
It sounds like the problem might be the sleep and anxiety. If you work to resolve those, the homework might not be a problem. The Office of Health Promotion has some great tips on sleep (bit.ly/BCSleepy) and stress (bit.ly/BCDeStress).
It may help to know that nobody is judging you; they’re too preoccupied with their own insecurity to notice the things about you that you think are flaws but aren’t flaws. You’re awesome! Share your awesomeness.
You are very interesting! You have experiences and your own perspective. Perhaps you can gather a few stories that are interesting or entertaining. Who or what did you encounter in the last few days, and what happened? Or what happened in the news or on a favorite tv show? Or have you read something lately? Had a noteworthy meal (good or bad)? At the end of each day, review your day. If there’s something interesting, remember it for a conversation starter tomorrow, or next week, or next month. It’s just a matter of taking note of your life, and then finding the courage to share it.
Sorry you’re hurting. I am a wall, not a doctor, so may I refer you to the kind people at University Health Services (bit.ly/BostonCollegeHealth)?
I’m sorry you have had to experience that. Secondhand smoke is a genuine health issue. Boston College policy: “Smoking is… prohibited outdoors within twenty-five feet of all campus buildings.” Library staff will look into ways to communicate this policy effectively.
All of it? Not possible. But it’s a good idea to learn to get rid of unnecessary stress and to cope with the necessary stress. The Office of Health Promotion has some terrific ideas here: bit.ly/BCDeStress, as well as a link to meet with a Health Coach.
The short (sad) answer is yes. If you are interested in learning more about this disease, we have many books about it on level 3 in the RC523 call numbers.
No! Don’t let the cold-shamers put you off; dress according to your needs. Other people who feel insecure about breaking out the parkas will thank you.
Apart from scheduling an appointment with an optometrist to get a better idea of how your eyes are doing, I would recommend doing your best to protect your eyes from potential hazards. Examples include: wearing sunglasses when outdoors, limiting your exposure to bright screens, reducing the amount of blue light exposed to your eyes, and getting an adequate amount of rest each day.
I would suggest trying to avoid thinking of yourself that way. The most important thing is feeling good about how you look. Try not to let any negative criticism have such an effect on you that it gives you a low opinion of yourself. Finally, if there is something or several things you don’t like about yourself, try and develop a positive attitude that strives to help make you the best version of yourself.
