Dear Barb: I am really stressed out and in need of some advice.  I’m a single mom with two boys plus I work full time and take courses at AU.  My mother was just diagnosed with stage four cancer; I am so filled with anxiety that I just don’t know what to do.  I can’t… Read more »

You’re preparing for a test and you get a phone call.  Your loved one has died.  Now what?  Well, you could mourn at the funeral.  The funeral ends, but the heartache lasts.  I find a better solution is to listen to the Long Island psychic, Theresa Caputo. The psychic says do rituals to heal your… Read more »

As an AU student, you might be tasked with having to feed, not just yourself, but family and perhaps roommates as well.  Preparing meals day in and day out, you might become fatigued at brainstorming new inspirations for recipes and, of course, having to bring those ideas to life.  We call this the chef’s block… Read more »

Do you want to focus like Superman during exams?  Well, focus works the brain like windshield wipers works windows.  But you focus clearest without the pigeon’s package.  So, start wiping!  Or, better yet, exercise. Elie Venezky, author of Hack Your Brain, says, “Focus is a muscle, and you can build it” (as cited in https://www.fastcompany.com/3050123/8-ways-to-improve-your-focus). … Read more »

ENGL 211 (Prose Forms) is a three-credit introductory English course where students examine fictional work in prose and encounter major literary concepts, terms, and analytical strategies.  The texts that are studied in ENGL 211 include American, British, and Canadian short stories and novels, which range from the nineteenth century to the twenty first century.  There… Read more »

Dear Barb: I have been with my girlfriend for three years and we got along great, for the most part, but recently we started arguing a lot.  I think it might be time to end the relationship.  We don’t seem to agree on anything, even watching a movie is becoming stressful.  We don’t like the… Read more »

Want a student-friendly way to blast to class and back?  Tired of standing at the bus, getting snow kicked in your face by motorists?  Then jump on the environmental bandwagon: the bicycle. Cyclists live fit and healthy but carry their share of road rage tales.  I have many scary cycling stories, too. For instance, I… Read more »

Album: Salvador Artist: Todd O’Keefe On February 5th, Todd O’Keefe released his latest album, Salvador.  Nailing down a genre for O’Keefe is challenging.  Using experience based on a past in the music industry and the amount of talent he has worked with, Todd has created a sound all his own.  With guitar stylings similar to… Read more »

My father used to say, “eating is about fooling the mouth and pleasing the tummy”.  In other words, good food should be palatable but healthy at the same time.  Typically, healthier dieting options aren’t always a taste bud pleaser.  Luckily, since I’ve discovered the secret to maximizing one’s diet with Vietnamese rice paper, I have… Read more »

Do you dance like Michael Jackson to Wii games?  Do you cycle like Lance Armstrong after doping?  Well, whatever you do well, do the same with studies. Learning how to win A-grades takes time and tricks.  To get the A’s, we need to master mnemonics, reading strategies, exam tips, and note-taking skills. But how do… Read more »