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

Diamond Dogs!

Being anxious and wondering about replies can be exhausting. You can always tell your friends that it makes you anxious and ask them to reply. Often our friends just don’t realize something is bothering us until we say something.

My library helpers have a lot of suggestions, and some of them are ones you already know, and some of them come with extra strong approval!

• Stoked Pizza Company
  • Stoked in Washington Square (Brookline) has great vegan pizza options!
• Milano’s in Brighton!
• you’ve already heard of it, but Pino’s is still the correct answer
• Same Old Place in Jamaica Plain
• The Pleasant Cafe in Roslindale is the best!
• Ziggy’s on Washington for New York style slices
  • Ziggy’s Pizza on Washington Street in Brighton. Total hidden gem. Way better than all the other places listed.
• Joe’s Pizza – Harvard Square
  • There’s a new Joe’s Pizza at Harvard Square, and it’s just as good as the NYC original. Best to eat it fresh there by the slice!
• Regina’s 
• Bill’s Pizzeria – Newton Center
• Bardos – they do South Shore style pickle pizza!
• Za in Arlington
• Pini’s in Waltham!
• Max & Leo’s
• Brick House Pizza & Grille in Brighton
• Tenderoni’s at Fenway is really fun as a group!

Best I can do is an estimate. According to EagleSpace there are about 200,000 square feet of exterior walls in the academic buildings on BC’s campuses. Depending on the size of the bricks you’re probably looking at 4-6 bricks per square foot.

I think you might find that my crowd-sourced answer last summer to a question about Boston area bucket-list activities has some good suggestions: bit.ly/bcl-boston-bucket

No need to worry that you’re too sensitive; you are entitled to your feelings. It is possible you are misinterpreting what they are saying, that they spoke without thinking, or that they intentionally said something out of line. You can ask them directly why they said that, or tell them their words were hurtful.

❤️

One thing I have noticed is that people often have more going on in their lives than we ever know. There are many reasons you might not feel like your friends are being friends, and often the best way to find out is to ask them what’s going on.

Sorry no mod. ?

Easy-peasy! Just go to bit.ly/ONeillStudyRoom You can also find the Study Rooms link under “Quick Links” on the library home page: library.bc.edu. Here’s a QR code to make it easy!

Get enough sleep the night before. Plan out your studying in blocks for each subject and stick to it. Study with a buddy (but make sure they’re serious about it.) Take breaks and give yourself rewards. Attend any review sessions that are offered. Remember that while an exam may look like an overwhelming hurdle, it is not a judgement of you as a person. I have faith in you!

It depends a lot on how you define “administration”. There is an interractive visualization that breaks down BC Operating Expenses from 2010-2022, so you can see the changes in the categories: bit.ly/BCAdminFacExpense

Breath. I highly recommend a daily practice of breathing meditation as a way of practicing kindness to yourself. Thich Nhat Hanh provides an excellent, short introduction in Peace is Every Breath: O’Neill Library BL65 .P4 N46 2011.

All I can say is that I feel more like I do now than I did then.

It just is, is what it is.

The answer is much clearer when you define “enough” for yourself very clearly: how much, by what time, and to what level of quality.

My cousin the Magic 8-ball says “Cannot predict now.”

Russia: A history of Russia, N. V. Riasonovsky (O’Neill Library DK40 .R5 2000) America: A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn (ebook: bit.ly/bcl-zinn-peoples-history) Europe: Europe, A History, Norman Davies (O’Neill Library D57 .D28 1996) Middle East: The Arabs: A History, Eugene Rogan (O’Neill Library DS37.7 .R64 2009), Jerusalem: The Biography, Simon Sebag Montefiore (DS109.9 .S43 2011)

You can practice with friends (of any gender) if you can open up to them about your concerns. You might be able to come up with a physical trigger to stop the laughter like pressing on your jaw. In any case you are very courageous to put yourself out there and I have faith you can do it.

When you set aside your fears & anxieties, talking to guys is just like talking to women. You find some common ground through trial and error, and overlook the awkwardness that’s inevitable when you’re getting to know someone. Oh, and tell your inner voices saying critical or discouraging things that you appreciate their help but don’t need them right now.

It sounds very challenging!

My advice? Live your life in an ethical manner, be kind to people and treat them with respect. Then, sit back and know you deserve respect, and what other people think is not something you can control. Try try try to worry less about what other people think (I know that is hard!)