To be or not to be?

To be or not to be? That is the question.
To be or not to be? That is the question.

That was certainly Hamlet, Prince of Denmark’s question, but the play ended with poor Fortinbras knee deep in Danes, so I’m not sure it should be THE question.

Name x Name

Name x Name
Name x Name

I’m not sure whether these are names of students here at BC, so I’ve erred on the side of caution and redacted them. That’s my wall policy because I can never be sure people named here consented to being named.

What’s a book that will change the way I think?

What's a book that will change the way I think?
What’s a book that will change the way I think?

This is a really hard question to answer. It depends so much on what your lived experiences and worldviews are – what book will expand, challenge, or flip your perspectives? Someone else may say some classic of the Western canon is the go to book for changing the way you think. And another may give you some recent social science tomes. Personally, I think the world of science fiction and fantasy can really help us think about our existence in new ways. I’ve been taken with Becky Chambers’ work recently. Anyway, maybe other passers-by will write notes with their own answers to this question?

What are some tips to turn a bad day to good? :)

What are some tips to turn a bad day to good? :)
What are some tips to turn a bad day to good? 🙂

Often, a day is bad because you’ve fixated on things that went wrong. Stop, take a few deep breaths, and focus on how you feel, and where that feeling is in your body. Maybe it’s disappointment and your shoulders are sagging. Maybe it’s anxiety and your stomach is churning. Then take a few more breaths, and focus on which parts of your body feel OK. Now think about a few things that went right, even small ones. Maybe you got to class on time, or the fries at Lower hit the spot. Finally, think of a few small things that happened in the past week for which you’re grateful. If one of them was the result of something someone else did, reach out to them and thank them.

Why are the grad TAs here so annoying?

Why are the grad TAs here so annoying?
Why are the grad TAs here so annoying?

I’m sorry your experience of grad TA’s has involved annoyance. If their instruction isn’t working for you, you can ask them why they’re doing something a certain way. If that seems risky or unproductive, you could also go to someone in the department, especially if their behavior is unprofessional. But if they’re genuinely just “annoying,” remember they’re both human and likely stressed about their own classes. Grad school is usually about 110% more demanding than undergrad.

Would you stop a wedding?

Would you stop a wedding?
Would you stop a wedding?

I would truly hate to do this, and make a scene and ruin the day, but would if absolutely necessary. For instance, if I discovered immediately before the wedding that the intended had previously done in several spouses for insurance money…