It’s very difficult to find famous influential, and widely cited books on psychedelic drugs in the BC libraries. Are these discreetly “banned”?

It's very difficult to find famous influential, and widely cited books on psychedelic drugs in the BC libraries. Are these discreetly "banned"?
It’s very difficult to find famous influential, and widely cited books on psychedelic drugs in the BC libraries. Are these discreetly “banned”?

Libraries like ours don’t do book bans except at gunpoint. Like most academic libraries what we buy is shaped primarily by what’s in the curriculum and what faculty are doing research on, and where there are gaps in the collection that’s usually the reason. 1) You always have the option of requesting an interlibrary loan for things we don’t have. Usually takes about a week, and if another library can loan it, we’ll get it for you. 2) We’re happy to take suggestions on books to add.

got a battery leak in my calculator…should I take it in to get repaired or buy a new one?

got a battery leak in my calculator...should I take it in to get repaired or buy a new one?
got a battery leak in my calculator…should I take it in to get repaired or buy a new one?

Maybe take a look at these repair guides and the forums at iFixit. If there isn’t a lot of damage you might be able to get it working yourself for cheap. The trick with small electronics is that the repair bill is often as much or more than a new device. https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Calculator

Why can’t students use the dark-room on campus?

Why can't students use the dark-room on campus? It should be open to all student!
Why can’t students use the dark-room on campus? It should be open to all student!

Here’s what art department staff said: “Thanks so much for the question! Sadly, we only have 14 working enlargers in the darkroom in the art department, and usually between 40-60 students taking photography classes at a time. The space is tight and we need to reserve it for those students, since the lab is only open for 20 hours a week. We have limited hours because it has to be staffed to prevent broken equipment, flooding, you name it, but also to provide assistance with students who need help with their printing. I encourage students to take our Photography 1 class, which is also offered this summer!”

What should I do when I feel like Im better…

What should I do when I feel like Im better than everyone else? Am I narcassist?!
What should I do when I feel like Im better than everyone else? Am I narcassist?!

If you’re concerned about your behaviors or thoughts, I recommend talking to someone about it. You could talk either to a student wellness coach (bit.ly/BCStudentWell) or a counselor at BC Counseling Services (bit.ly/BC-counseling), either of which would be confidential and supportive.

Tips for getting post-bac research positions in psychology/neuroscience (besides the obvious work your connections and checking job boards)? Feel like I am swinging and missing!

I recommend speaking to as many people in that area as you can: IOW, professors of psychology and neuroscience at BC and beyond, to ask what they did. Don’t be afraid of cold-calling (or emailing), but be sure to personalize them in some way: speak about their specializations & your interest in them. It’s probably somewhat akin to sending early-career fiction manuscripts for publication; one writer said “you’ve sent almost enough when you can wallpaper a room with rejections.” I’d also talk to the career center: bit.ly/BC-career.

What is my future?

What is my future?
What is my future?

Partly what you want it to be, with varying input (helpful or harmful) from other sources – people, the earth itself, a higher power… I can almost assure you it will be not exactly as you imagine it, and that along the way there will be highs and lows you can’t predict right now.

Best ice cream in Boston? I’m looking for fresh date ideas. If you have any besides ice cream that would be much appreciated.

Best ice cream in Boston? I'm looking for fresh date ideas. If you have any besides ice cream that would be much appreciated.
Best ice cream in Boston? I’m looking for fresh date ideas. If you have any besides ice cream that would be much appreciated.

My library helpers have a lot of ice cream ideas, as well as date ideas. Check them out!

Ice Cream:

  • J.P. Licks
  • New City in Cambridge (amazing flavors like Baklava! & Vegan options))
  • Toscanini’s Ice Cream in Cambridge
  • Scoop N’ Scootery. There’s one in Brighton center and another in Allston– they have huge portions which make sharing easy if you want!
  • Ron’s Ice Cream (Hyde Park and Dedham)
  • Honeycomb Creamery. Lots of cool flavors and plenty of vegan options.
  • Honestly, White Mountain Creamery on Comm Ave is great and is walking distance from campus. But, if you want to venture out, try Toscanini’s in Cambridge. Scoop and Scootery is also great for late night ice cream delivery … they have locations in Brighton, Allston, and Arlington. Cabot’s in Newton is hard to beat for old-school diner ambience, and they have great burgers too.
  • Caffe Vittoria (North End)

Date Ideas:

  • Beacon Hill book store – cool bookstore + great cafe downstairs
  • Painting pottery at The Clayroom in Brookline
  • Thursday night at Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
    • The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (free with your BC id anyways) does Free First Thursdays. Not only is it then free to everyone, but they’re open until 9pm on those days, so you have extra time to see some art and/or hang out in the garden there
  • Cooking class at Shiso Kitchen
  • If you can get to the deCordova Sculpture Park, it is really fun! You could combine it with a walk around Walden Pond
  • Go to a museum! BC students get free admission to the Boston MFA and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Take advantage of it! 🙂
  • ramen at Ganko Ittetsu => movie at Coolidge
  • Swan boat ride in the Public Gardens
  • Live music at the Lizard Lounge

How to do a D.C.F.

How to do a D.C.F.
How to do a D.C.F.

Discounted Cash Flow? Department of Children & Families? Dyneema Composit Fabric? If you mean the valuation method, here’s the formula: bit.ly/invest-o-dcf

Do you think there’s truth to the bell-curve meme? (Things that can be seemingly stupid but actually profound at the same time?)

Someone on the less wise end of the spectrum saying “I just do whatever I feel like” might, without thinking, do something that harms themselves or others & regret it. Someone on the wise end of the spectrum saying the same thing might have more sensible possibilities in mind after years of mindful experience & observation. So a statement that appears to be identical in two cases could have two entirely unrelated meanings with very different assumptions and outcomes.

How do I improve my work ethic + not procrastinate?

Procrastination often stems from a feeling of being overwhelmed by a task. You might try two things on your own: 1. break the task into smaller tasks. “Write the Paper” is not what belongs on your to-do list. Break it into a dozen steps. 2. Tell your inner critic–the unhelpful one–you don’t need their input right now, you’ll do fine on this task. So what if it’s not the Mona Lisa? It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, it just has to be done. For help with task management, get an appointment at the CFLC for academic coaching: bit.ly/BC-connors