I’m really stressing about all of the work that I have to complete this semester in such a short period of time. What can I do?

First of all, just know that you are definitely not the only student feeling this way. Almost all of the students are feeling more stress now than they would during a normal semester. Losing a month of the semester is hard on all students and professors, but everyone is having to find a way to get through it. During this time, most professors are being really understanding about limiting assignments and extending deadlines. If you are in a situation where you cannot yet return to class, then the university has stated that they are going to work with you and excuse your absences and deadlines. If you have returned to class and feel like this semester is going to be too stressful for you, the university has extended the withdrawal period and you have the choice to withdrawal from any classes that are going to produce stress. This is a personal decision, but UNCW is offering it to accommodate students who are feeling the same way that you do.

One of the guys that is in my close friend group is starting to have feelings for me and I’m not sure how to handle it.

I think you should definitely have a conversation about it with him when he does express to you that he is developing feelings. If you feel like you are starting to have feelings for him I would definitely talk to him about what becoming a couple entails for the two of you. The biggest risk in this situation would be potentially harming a friendship by trying to make it into a romantic relationship. This is a risk that the two of you could choose to take if you are both wanting to further your relationship. However, if you are not reciprocating the feelings then you could use this risk as a reason to not pursue a further relationship with him. It puts you in a good position to remain friends with the individual and not make things become awkward between the two of you. It is also possible that you could try dating and then return to being friends, but it is difficult for some people. Although, you never know if something will work out unless you try it.

I’m an out of state freshman this year and I was having a hard time making new friends before the break and I was hoping to use this hurricane to reach out to others and hopefully make friends. How can I do this?

I’m so glad that you chose to travel to UNCW for your college experience! I hope that you are able to find a community here in Wilmington that will make you feel comfortable and loved. This hurricane has allowed people to reach out and help others in need and I love that you want to do that for your peers. As of right now, a lot of students are still displaced and are in need of a place to stay or still need some relief supplies. If you have room to offer a displaced student a place to stay that would be a great way to invite someone into your home and make friends with them. There are also many organizations that are helping with hurricane relief that you could join and meet individuals who are also interested in helping others recover from the storm. One student-led organization is called We Wilm Rebuild and they are focused on restoring the Wilmington community. Joining this group could be a great way to meet new friends and also help out others.