Dear Rosie,

There is this girl. I see her everywhere I go, and this semester we ended up in a class together. At first I was pretty pumped, but now I am beginning to realize that I am scared to talk to her. Terrified, actually. The class is pretty big, so I am pretty sure that she has no idea who I am. When I see her out, I can’t do anything because I know it would be so awkward if I just walked up to her and introduced myself. On the other hand, if I don’t do anything I will always wish I had. Any suggestions?

Sincerely, Lost in Lathrop

Dear Lost in Lathrop,

First of all, calm down. The more you think about this situation, the more anxious you’re going to get when you finally talk to her. The most important thing is to look at this situation rationally. This girl is just a girl, not something to be scared of. If you never build up the courage to talk to her, you will never know anything beyond that. Take a chance.

Luckily, you have some leverage this semester. What is one thing you have in common? A class. Use this to your advantage as soon as possible. The classic “homework question” prompt always seems to work best. If you see her studying in the library or Coop, ask a question about something from class. You could even try to prolong the conversation by talking about the professor. Technically, once this happens, she knows who you are. Sit next to her in class the next day and introduce yourself (make sure to tell her your name). As long as you continue small talk before and after each class, it should be easy to talk to her the next time you see her around campus or out at night. In order for this to work, you can’t be too nervous around her. Confidence is the key!

Dear Rosie,

This semester I am finally able to get into the Jug. I have one problem, though: when is the best time to go? I’ve heard anytime before midnight is always boring because it’s empty and I’ve seen that the line gets too long after 1 or 1:30. What do you think?

Sincerely, Frustrated Frosh

Dear Frustrated Frosh,

Every student at Colgate deals with this problem. To be honest, the exact time a huge crowd arrives at the Jug depends entirely on what else is going on that night. My suggestion would be to go between 12:30 and 1, but be prepared to stand in line for about 10 minutes. Even if the line looks intimidating, there may not always be a lot of people in the Jug. Sometimes the bouncers slowly let people in even though there is no one inside. However, if you go too late (1:30 or 2), they may have already reached maximum capacity. Don’t worry about it, you will have tons of chances to go to the Jug.