Ask Angie

Q: Angie, I'm addicted to candy. Every time I pass by the campus center and Jumbo Express the smell of the sour peaches draws me in!! What do I do?? -Sweet Tooth



A: Hmm, well, that's not really the worst addiction you could have -- candy sure beats alcohol or drugs! This sort of obsession becomes a problem when it infringes on your ability to go about your life in a normal fashion. Do you think about candy during every moment of your waking hours? Are you eating so much candy that you don't eat anything more healthful during the rest of the day? If you exclusively ate sour peach candy for every meal, then I'd suggest a visit to a nutritionist or at least some sort of intervention. What it sounds like is you get cravings when you pass by the place you associate with that candy, specifically, the lower side of the campus center. To avoid those cravings in the first place, see if you can reroute your trips away from Jumbo Express. Without having to look at the store, or "smell" the sour peaches, you may not even think about them. If you know you can't cut it out of your life completely, try to consciously limit yourself to less candy every day. When you buy a bag of those peaches, eat a few and seal the bag for a later time. Just like any addiction, quitting cold turkey may be harsh -- by gradually decreasing your candy intake, you'll find yourself craving the sweet stuff less often.



Q: Hello Angie, I'm having problems with my roommate. I'm Jewish, and Passover is coming up. My roommate is not Jewish, and thinks it's funny to make fun of all the kosher food I'm buying. I find this disrespectful. How can I make him understand? - Frustrated Religious



A: That's seriously not cool for him to mock your preparations for the upcoming religious holiday. If he is religious, try asking him how he would feel if you made light of some of the traditions he holds dear. Do some research on his religion and let him know you genuinely respect his practices. If religion is not a big deal to him, he may not understand the seriousness with which you approach your religious life and these events. Other than asking him politely to leave you alone (which I assume you've done), you may need to insist that you will not have any religious discussion anymore in your room. If it's still a problem, talk to your hall RA -- it's their job to handle roommate conflicts. If nothing works, just know that you've only got a few weeks left with this guy until summer.



Q: Dear Ask Angie, I do not want to go home for the summer AGAIN. My parents think I am going home but I have other plans. How do I break the news? - Not Home Sick



A: The clock is ticking, and I'd recommend telling them sooner than later. You may need to give them a little while to accept this information -- especially if this is your first summer away from home -- rather than waiting until the last second and using the 'shock and awe' method to drop this bombshell. Parents have the tendency to appreciate honesty. You're away at college, you've enjoyed a certain amount of independence that you didn't have at home. Let your parents know that it will be easier for you to get a hold of your newfound independence by living away from home this summer. Be sure to have it very carefully planned out -- you say you have a plan, but how certain is it? You'll fare better with them if you have some sort of job lined up and a definite living situation. Promise to visit them regularly, and invite them to visit you. This news doesn't have to be traumatic for either you or your parents.