Ask Helga - Ring by spring and asking Chat under pressure
Got questions? Send them to Helga to get a Viking’s perspective on your life!
Dear Helga,
My best friend started hanging out with this guy at the beginning of the school year, and she just told me that they plan to be engaged by spring with a wedding right after graduating in May. She’s allowed to get married as young as she wants to, but I’m nervous about how quickly everything is moving. Should I step in? Or just start looking for bridesmaid dresses?
Dearest Viking,
It’s hard to know when to step in when you think your shipmate is making a grave decision. Do you tell them how to steer? Or do you allow the possibility for them to sink?
I remember the day my friend Pippa told me about Karl like it was yesterday. She met him during Viking days, brought him home for Thanksgiving and they were engaged by Christmas with a wedding ceremony set for Midsommar.
Suddenly, I was hosting a bachelorette party at the Crowbar after her graduation, and I couldn’t help but wonder why they couldn’t have just waited. Her sisters didn’t even come in protest of the marriage.
On the day of the wedding, nobody could find Karl. Eventually, someone found a letter in his tuxedo pocket addressed to Pippa. He got cold feet and wasn’t ready to get married.
As her maid of honor, I was the one to tell Pippa she was no longer a bride. She cried enough tears to fill the North Sea.
In the months that followed, Pippa kept telling me how thankful she was for my friendship. We spent nearly every day together.
It was in those moments that I realized she would have gone through with the wedding even if I had told her I didn’t think it was a good idea. The only difference was that I wouldn’t have been there when she needed me the most.
Helga’s advice? Be there for your friend through thick and thin. You should be someone she can celebrate with when things go right and someone to lean on when they don’t.
Buy the bridesmaid dress and buckle up.
Love, Helga
Dear Helga,
My professors keep telling us not to use AI on assignments, but I’m so busy with all of my classes, practices, clubs and new friends that I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to keep up. I’m considering just letting Chat do some of my work for me so I can get everything done in time. Is it cheating if I feel like there’s no other option?
Dearest Viking,
First and foremost, I’d like to thank you for being so honest about this topic. Artificial intelligence is a morally dividing issue, and you’re right to feel apprehensive about it.
Last school year, my schedule was overloaded too. I couldn’t seem to catch a break. Who else was going to lead the all-too-popular Lutefisk Enthusiasts club?
One night, I had three projects due at midnight, a club meeting to prepare for and my Friday night plans on his way to pick me up sooner than expected. I won’t lie to you, I had a new tab open with my fingers poised to type in the first AI site to come to mind.
But then I remembered my professors are human and understand how it feels to be overwhelmed.
I finished the project I was closest to completing, and emailed my other two professors. I told them I wasn’t going to submit an assignment completed by AI just because I was crunched for time, and I wasn’t going to send them subpar or unfinished work either. I apologized for emailing so late and said I would accept any penalty listed in the syllabus for late work.
My Friday night plans said he was more than willing to reschedule, so I was able to spend the weekend getting caught up. I even asked the Lutefisk Enthusiasts vice president to prepare our next meeting, and she was excited to help.
By Monday morning, one professor said he would waive the late-work penalty for being honest with him. My other professor docked five percentage points from my project, but told me I made the right choice — and I still ended up getting an A.
In the spring semester, I lightened my class load and delegated club tasks more efficiently.
Helga’s advice? Don’t sacrifice your integrity for a grade. Be honest with your professors, and don’t be afraid to let others steer the ship every once in a while.
Remember: you’re at the best university in the world to stay curious and forge life-changing relationships. Don’t let a computer steal this once-in-a-lifetime experience from you.
Love, Helga
