
You can break up with someone at any time for any reason. Be a human about it and do it in person. You don’t need to be dramatic or explain yourself if you don’t want to. Good luck!

Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library

Yes. This is apparently the way. And for what it’s worth, my sources tell me that it gets harder to recreate the spontaneous college experience of meeting new people as you get older. Be brave! It’s worth it, even if it doesn’t work out the way you hope.

I’m sorry you’re feeling lonely. Here’s something to try: ask friends & family for care. You can ask directly (“I need a hug”) but that can be a challenging thing to do. Here’s a trick: offer a hug to someone, especially if they look a little down. That will help chip away at the separation. Or just offer a kind word: “you’re looking good today,” or “I was just remembering that time we…” If you find it too hard to try reaching out to people this way, I recommend talking to someone about it, for instance, BC’s counseling services: bit.ly/BC-counseling.

Beauty is, as they say, in the eyes of the beholder and it is also more than skin deep. Perhaps some of the qualities that make you enjoy your girlfriend’s company – personality, sense of humor, the conversations you can have – are all part of the special sauce that makes her pretty.

If walls could talk… . Just kidding, they can! I think I’ve heard everything at this point from my dorm wall friends. If I were a human in that situation I’d probably apologize for not alerting them, and if the two of you haven’t talked through some ground rules, I’d suggest doing that as well, to avoid it happening again.

Step 1: recognize that the way you think about other people affects how they react to you. Step 2: start a conversation about literally anything other than dating. Step 3: be gracious about taking no for an answer. You don’t get the harsh put-down if you notice the subtle “I’m not interested”.

Holding onto the pettiness and repairing the relationship are both optional. Maybe think about what the current situation is doing for you, that might make it clearer what to prioritize.

Perpetually lonely is not good. I highly recommend BC Counseling Services (https://bit.ly/BCUCSOptions) to get some support. But, I can say, don’t lose hope. Loneliness is not a permanent state, you will overcome this.

There are many ideas about this, but generally try to actively listen to what someone is saying and show genuine interest in their lives. Have warm, positive body language (a brief smile with raised eyebrows and keeping eye contact for example) to make folks you interact with feel at ease. Be a bit vulnerable to show you are authentic and folks around you can be themselves. Expressing humor and finding points of connection are a bonus but take time and practice to get right.