Category: Life & Career

Well, one way is to be a Wall, and invite people to ask questions: my answers are published here daily! But I think you mean you want your books sold at bookstores or articles in magazines. Start by learning the craft of writing: take a writing workshop or journalism course here at BC, or at grubstreet.org. Write. A lot. (Get a job as a stringer at a local newspaper to get lots of practice!) Send pieces to magazines or literary journals (subscribe to writersmarket.com for listings & how-to, &/or browse the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market at the O’Neill Reference Desk: PN3355 .F47). If you have a plan for a non-fiction book or have finished a novel, get a literary agent (O’Neill PN163 .G853) to try to land a publishing deal. Or just go your own way: self-publish via Amazon, and be ready to do a lot of self-promotion! Best of luck!

You are wise to be considering the cost (and responsibility) that comes with pet ownership. Having a dog is obviously very enjoyable and beneficial to some people, but if you are considering it, try coming up with an expected budget first to see whether it seems manageable. Be sure to include both day-to-day costs (food, supplies, check ups, etc.) and periodic costs (medical issues, increased rent or pet deposits, pet sitting costs, etc.). Does that amount seem manageable? If so, you can go into dog adoption with confidence. If it seems like you can’t afford it, consider other options. Can you pet sit or dog walk for friends? How about volunteering at a shelter or rescue organization? No matter the format, I hope you are able to find a rewarding (and affordable!) way to spend lots of times with dogs!

If you think this would help you grow or be rewarding in some way, absolutely! There’s a long tradition of confessional poetry; the first to be labeled as such was Robert Lowell, a selection of whose poems you can find in O’Neill Library at call number PS3523.O89 A17 1976.

The Wall cannot say. Trust your instincts, you’ll be fine.

Many qualities will help, but the central one is a commitment to honesty. After you graduate, you’ll get the indescribable pleasure of your work & life having real impact on others, not just grade impacts on you. The flip side is the anxiety of unanticipated impacts: sometimes things don’t go as planned. Being the best you involves conflicting attitudes: bring the confidence & boldness when it’s time to act, persistence when things don’t go as planned, humility and flexibility when you need to ask for help and change plans, and adaptability and teachability when it’s time to grow. Why is honesty central? You can only understand a situation, other people, or yourself when you assess honestly, and you have to understand a situation to know which attitude to bring to it.

Depends on what’s in Colorado. Good job? Fresh start? Skiing? Colorado is a great state, but moving somewhere without a plan is usually a bad idea. Also, consider where in Colorado you’d be moving. Do you want to live in a city or somewhere more rural? One way to figure some of this out might be to make a visit out to the area you want to move to for a week or 2 and see how well you like it.

I think it depends on your reasons for becoming a vet-tech first. If you want to take this path to help you decide whether you want to be a veterinarian, I think it is definitely worthwhile. It is always good to explore a career first if you are unsure of it (though you might also see whether you can instead get an internship). If you are doing this to help pay for veterinary school or to help you get into a good school, it might also be worthwhile, but in both of those cases, the Career Center can provide more knowledgeable advice than I can. Stop by their drop-in sessions here at the library on Wednesdays & Thursdays 2-4 (Level 3 consultation area) or check out their website: bit.ly/BC-career.