We’ve all been there—from the time you didn’t know if your outfit matched to the time your significant other abruptly changed his mind about your relationship to the time your pet hamster died. Picture all those times you’ve needed sound advice but didn’t think your friends would understand. Well, the Collegian staff understands, and we’re here to help.
Our new advice column is completely anonymous and is designed with the student body in mind. If you’re seeking advice on anything ranging from birthday gifts to study tips to new technology to maneuvering around the dining common successfully, you’ve come to the right place!
Go to www.collegianonline.com/advice to submit your question(s). Because of the number of submissions, however, we can’t guarantee that all questions will be published.
Is there a nice way to tell people they are posting too much on Facebook?
Most of the time, telling someone he is posting too much on Facebook would be over-stepping your bounds as a fellow member of the Facebook world. In fact, you could come across as being pushy and obnoxious.
But if your friend is posting information that could hurt his testimony or that a future employer would view as inappropriate, it would be wise to let your friend know that he needs to rethink the content he posts on his page. As a fellow brother or sister in Christ, it may also be appropriate to confront him about the content of such posts.
Facebook is a place not only to inform others about your life, but also to be informed in turn. However, if you don’t find a “friend’s” numerous status updates very interesting, you have a couple of options.
If the prolific poster is someone who you don’t keep in touch with or know very well, you can “de-friend” him. Chances are he won’t notice or care. However, if the poster is a closer friend, you can simply limit the statuses that show up on your news feed.
On the home page, click on the tab at the right-hand corner of his post. Select “Hide this Story.” Once the story is hidden, more options will show up in blue text. Select “Change what updates you get from ___.” Click this and choose from another list of options, such as “Only Important” and “Unsubscribe.” This way, you can keep your Facebook friend and free up room on your news feed at the same time.
If you don’t have a date to Artist Series and end up taking your cousin instead, do you have to buy her a present?
If you know your cousin well, you can probably guess whether she is the type who would enjoy exchanging gifts or couldn’t care less.
However, even though giving a gift is never essential, it is definitely a thoughtful gesture to thank someone for going with you, especially on the gentleman’s part. Candy or chocolate is probably the best way to go, as neither is expensive nor elaborate. It’s small enough that your cousin won’t feel bad if she didn’t get anything for you.
Is it all right to move people’s place-holders farther down the table to make room at the DC?
Moving someone’s place at the dining common isn’t polite, especially if you’re moving their wallet or their food. Ideally, you could ask them to move down when they return to the table. But as this isn’t really practical, it’s best to keep circling until you find an open spot.
While students should be as economical as possible with space, you can’t always control what other people will do. Just do the right thing and avoid touching their property.
