Welcome back, advice lovers. Course registration is coming up, so if you’re looking for something exciting to read while you anxiously scroll through classes, this week’s column has you covered. This week, we’re working through graduation stress, hometown dread and awkward exes. As always, if you have a question I didn’t answer, submit it to this anonymous form, and I’ll do my best to help you out.

I’m a senior and I’ve started to feel really stressed about how quickly graduation is coming up. All my friends are moving away, so I want to spend more time where our friend group is all together, but it’s so hard to coordinate everyone’s schedule and we never end up doing the activities we talk about. How do I make sure we can do the things we wanted before we all go to different cities?

The idea of relationships changing with the people you care about can be really scary, and it sounds like you’re feeling a lot of anxiety over not being able to see your friends as regularly as you’d like. It might seem like everyone is too busy to coordinate anything, but it’s incredibly helpful to have one person in a group of friends who wants to make social events happen. Make a list of everything you want to do with your friends before you graduate, and see if you can find a time once or twice a week to check one of those activities off your list. While you might not be able to coordinate with your entire group for every activity, different people will be available for different things, and you’ll get to spend more individual time with each of your friends. 

Knowing graduation is approaching can be really nerve-racking no matter what, but being more proactive for the next couple months can reduce a lot of that anxiety. If you make an effort to schedule some activities you’ve had in mind, I’m guessing you’ll feel a lot better — you’ll be able to spend time with your friends and cross some items off your bucket list. By the time you graduate, you won’t be left with any regrets. It’s really clear how much you care about your relationships with your friends, so I’m confident you’ll be able to maintain that connection for the next few months and in the future, even if you’re living apart.

I’ve accepted an internship in my hometown for the summer, and while I’m so excited about the opportunity, I’m dreading having to stay all summer in a place I feel like I outgrew. What’s your advice on living somewhere I don’t want to be?

First of all, congratulations on your internship! The good news is, if you’re working most of the time, you’re probably going to be in a very different environment than you were the last time you were living there. Getting fully immersed in a job you’re really excited about can make you a lot happier about the situation you’re in. During the times when you’re not working, think back on whether there were any people you enjoyed spending time with, and if any come to mind, reach out to them. Focus on the parts of your hometown you can still feel excited about and don’t spend too much time on the things you feel like you’ve outgrown. Remember that the summer is short, and if you’re still feeling unsatisfied living at home, you’ll be back on campus before you know it with some great work experience under your belt. Good luck!

I’m neighbors with my ex and it’s very embarrassing every time I bump into him in the hallway or the elevator. I’m not sure how to make small talk without feeling so uncomfortable. Should I just ignore him?

That can be a really awkward situation, but there’s no reason to make it feel even more tense by pretending you’ve never met. He’s probably feeling just as self-conscious as you are, so there’s no need to force conversation if you don’t want to talk. Ignoring him, though, would only make your interactions more uncomfortable. Instead, just say hi when you pass him in the hallway or elevator and continue with your day — that’s enough to be polite without having to force yourself into a conversation neither of you want to be a part of.