Page 291 – The Answer Wall

January 19, 2018January 19, 2018

NY Resolution: To be fearless

As a Wall, of course I’m a big fan of Pink Floyd, and have always loved their song “Fearless,” (bit.ly/floyd-fearless) especially when I need encouragement to do something difficult. I assume there are particular things you’d like to do but have hesitated out of fear or anxiety. Fear & anxiety are quite common, and can be hard to fight, and often return against our will. If you find that’s the case, being fearless might not be an option, but doing things in spite of fear always is. That’s called courage. If you’re interested in recent research, check out Anxious: Using the Brain to Understand and Treat Fear & Anxiety, by neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux. (O’Neill Library RC531 .L344 2015)

January 19, 2018January 19, 2018

My new years resolution is to settle, settle into university, friendships, community, church and be still.

Sheer poetry! Everyone should adopt a resolution like this. The Answer Wall loves stillness, and though I enjoy settling, building engineers tell me settling walls and foundations can cause structural problems. But you humans, please enjoy settling into your communities, and please enjoy stillness. I can’t recommend stillness enough. You might enjoy the book The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere, by the travel writer Pico Iyer. (O’Neill and TML Libraries BJ1496 .I84 2014)

January 18, 2018January 18, 2018

I feel hopeless trying to figure out what I want to major in. Any tips?

Will your head explode if I told you this was a good thing? College is the time to sort things out, and the process you’re going through is part of you becoming the person you are meant to be. it’s not always linear, and you may change your mind; your major is not your career – it’s not even very likely your first job; and there are probably many majors that would work out fine for you. Major advice from the Advising Center (bit.ly/AdvisingCtrMajors); from the Career Center (bit.ly/CareerCtrMajors). Best wishes!

January 18, 2018January 18, 2018

Will anyone issue a statement against the president’s recent comments on African countries and immigrants of color? … #2nd this

The Cardinal of Boston, Sean Patrick O’Malley, wrote a blog entry about civility in response to the President’s comments: bit.ly/Cardinal-civility. Many other officials–especially of the nations and regions named–have responded as well. A group of African ambassadors called the comments “outrageous, racist and xenophobic,” and it is on the agenda of the upcoming African Union meetings in Addis Ababa next week. The Haitian ambassador said the comments were “misinformed or miseducated” about Haiti. There has been no officially released statement by BC; however, many universities, BC included, hosted events honoring Martin Luther King this week; perhaps honoring him was response enough.

January 18, 2018January 18, 2018

Where do I get a fancy typewriter like yours?

Sorry to dispel your romantic notions of my glamorous life, but I just (well, I have my people just) type on regular computers, and then we have a template that allows printing on the post-its. Typewriters are having a vintage moment these days, so you could look on various vintage/bidding sites and see if there’s one that appeals to you.

January 18, 2018January 18, 2018

How do I become a professional gamer?

The usual rules apply: it helps to have professional experience, and it likely matters who you know as much as what you can do. The old line is: “Amateurs practice until they get it right; professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong.” For some day-to-day examples of what the life is like, you might try this: bit.ly/bc-inside-pg or this: bit.ly/bc-cyber-athlete. And if you succeed, you might also have a career as a coach: bit.ly/bc-edge

January 18, 2018January 18, 2018

NY’s resolution: Ask out _ __ [redacted]

That’s a S.M.A.R.T. goal: Specific, Measurable, Assignable… OK, not sure how Realistic, but why worry? And you didn’t specify a Timeframe; hopefully, you won’t use that as a way to avoid your fears by putting it off indefinitely. Good luck! (Sorry about the black pen: no names on the Wall, please.)

January 18, 2018January 18, 2018

How do I gain enough motivation to get a 4.0 here? It’s so hard. (:

Break big goals like that down into small, achievable goals (such as “will draft 3 pages of history paper today”) and focus on them. Intrinsic interest in the subject of study is also important: earning a 4.0 is already like climbing a mountain; if you’re not interested, it’s like climbing a mountain when you’d rather be sailing. Keep in mind, too, that there are many other avenues to success (and other kinds of success) to be had in college: making and keeping long-term friends, for instance, who can help support you throughout the long, successful life in store for you.

January 17, 2018May 9, 2018

NY Resolution: Win an intramural championship with team name “Pixy Sticks”!

I look forward to rooting for the Pixy Sticks!

January 17, 2018January 17, 2018

NY Resolution: – get all As, – finish writing my book

Ambitious! I believe in you! You’ll have to be parsimonious with your time and attention (put strict limits on social media, tv, and games). You may also want to let friends and family know you might not be as available as usual. Go! Go! Go!

January 16, 2018January 16, 2018

New Year’s resolution: getting to know cool peeps without the pressure/indoctrination to date person – or learning how to navigate that more maturely!

It’s a really good idea to be open to a broad array of relationships: there are many kinds of love other than romantic. I’ve never really understood the phrase “just friends.” Friends are the ones who have your back for years, perhaps even a lifetime, while most romances, though intense, are temporary. The Greeks counted many types of love: friendship, empathic, erotic, and universal are the ones C.S. Lewis wrote about in The Four Loves. (O’Neill call number BV4639 .L45 1988). A Psychology Today article lists 7: bit.ly/7-types-of-love. May you learn to find the love you need.

January 16, 2018January 16, 2018

New Year’s resolution: not getting a C in any of my classes

Good for you! Make a preemptive strike against bad grades, and try tutoring at the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors) before you get to the point where you’re struggling. Best wishes for a productive semester.

January 12, 2018January 12, 2018

How to become more Disciplined?

Discipline is all about getting yourself to do things you resist doing, and/or not to do things you really want to do. So, one could rephrase the question: How do I get myself to do things I don’t want to do, and not to do things I want to do? There’s a recognition implicit in these questions that what we want to do and what we really ought to do are different. So, the first thing you need to do is define your wants and oughts, and perhaps rank them. Which wants are getting in the way of which oughts? It might help also to read what psychologists have learned about deferred gratification. The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control, by Walter Mischel (BF632 .M57 2014) is a good place to begin.

January 8, 2018January 10, 2018

Why does the library not have “The Tree” by Colin Tudge?

That sounds like a wonderful book for our collection. I caught the eye of our biology librarian, and suggested it to her, and she is placing an order. You can always contact subject librarians with suggestions (libguides.bc.edu/ask-a-librarian/contact). Another option is to place an interlibrary loan (illiad.bc.edu/illiad/bxm/logon.html) and check “yes” for “Should BC purchase this item”.

January 5, 2018January 10, 2018

New Year’s resolution: less screen time, more aware of reality and being in place, reacting to other living humans

I bet that will make you both happier and more productive – great resolution. You could start small, maybe no screens at meals or for a set period each day, and see how that works for you. I hope you will enjoy living outside of the Internet!

January 3, 2018January 10, 2018

New Year’s resolution: Spend more time with friends from work and be nicer

Spending more time with friends, whether from work or elsewhere, is always a good idea for humans & Walls. I like to spend time with my friend Express Yo’Self (bit.ly/express-yoself) through facetime. Being nicer is always better than being meaner. Just ask Monte Irvin: Nice Guys Finish First. (O’Neill Library call number: GV865.I78 A3x 1996)

January 3, 2018January 10, 2018

New Year’s resolution: Being more present with the ones I love

What a laudable goal! One path is to figure out what’s getting in the way of presence: work, social media, conflict avoidance, fear of intimacy, or just a habit of not being present. It’s also worthwhile just asking the ones you love what’s on their minds, or complimenting them. Sometimes, for instance, I take my friend the 3rd Floor for granted, but I should be more present. Floor, I love the way you withstand thousands of footsteps daily without complaint. Thich Nhat Hanh wrote a good book about mindfulness and love: Teachings on Love. (O’Neill Library, Call number: BQ4360 .N4713 1998)

January 3, 2018January 10, 2018

New Year’s resolution: To prove people wrong, to prove that my dreams can come true

I believe in you, and I think you’ll prove me right: your dreams can come true. If your dreams are career-related, perhaps you could visit BC’s Career Services office (bit.ly/BC-career) and/or The Vault (bit.ly/BC-Vault), a career website (BC login required). We also have many books in O’Neill Library on vocational guidance, located at or near call numbers HF 3581 to HF 3583 on the 4th floor.