DEAR HARRIETTE: COVID has changed a lot for the education system. I just started my freshman year in college, and although I knew things were going to be different than expected, living in a dorm seems pointless. Some schools even deliver your meals. Luckily, at mine, I get to go pick it up and bring it back to my dorm. But there is literally nothing to do here. There are no sports, no gym, no clubs, no events, no parties. You cannot be around friends in computer labs or libraries or common rooms just to watch TV. We are forced into isolation and it is beginning to wear on me.

The transition from high school into college is hard enough, and virtual learning is making it more difficult. I never learn in my room. It is harder to focus, and I don’t feel like I am actually being influenced and learning the material. I just want to move out and go home. It is exhausting, and I feel like there’s nothing I can do here that I can’t do back at home with my family. Is this our new world? -- Sick of COVID

DEAR SICK OF COVID: The emotional toll that COVID-19 is taking on our world is dramatic. Many colleges offered the option for students to be on campus and live in dorms, but out of an abundance of caution, no activities are being held -- as you described. Isolation can wear you down emotionally and physically.

Before you go home, consider whether there are any students with whom you can visit outdoors at a safe distance. Can you connect with anyone in meaningful ways? If not, it may be best to move back home and do your work remotely until a vaccine can rescue us.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been seeing this guy for about a year now, and I have brought up the fact that he has not taken me out on a date yet. He always tells me that he will plan something, but he never does. He comes to see me, but all we do is hang out in his car and eat and talk. It is starting to become predictable and boring. I don’t want to do that all the time.

He complains about not wanting to spend extra money on going out. But not all dates require you to spend money. So I made it clear that if he does not want to go out and do something, then I don’t want to see him. I feel like he is never going to plan anything, and I am just wasting my time. Should I stick it out for a little bit longer to give him a chance, or should I just keep the focus on myself and see other people who are willing to do that for me? -- Need Fun

DEAR NEED FUN: Before dumping him, plan some activities and invite him to participate. He may be happy to do something fun, but he may not have ideas. His attentiveness counts for something. See if he is willing to expand his horizons by following your lead. If he refuses or really cannot afford it, you will have to decide if car dates are enough.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I live in a nice gated community area. The neighbors are always friendly, families go on walks and kids play together nicely. I love it here. Recently, there have been a lot of families moving in and out of the neighborhood. I’ve noticed a little boy that I’ve never seen before that walks back and forth on my street each day and then heads to the playground. I can see from my backyard. He plays for an hour or so, then leaves. Since the school year has started, this happens every day around noon. He might be only 5 or 6 years old. I have never seen him with an adult. Sometimes there are other kids and adults at the playground, but when there are not, he plays alone, and I see him walk there and back alone.

Even though we live in a safe area, I am concerned and curious why he is always alone. I’ve thought about stopping him and asking him or following from a distance to see where he goes, but if his parents did tell him not to talk to anyone, I do not want to frighten him, I just want to make sure he is OK, being that I see him at the same time each day. What should I do? -- Friendly Neighbor

DEAR FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR: The way I grew up, every family looked out for every other family. There would be no child alone and unidentified. Obviously, times have changed, but such values can stay the same. Go up to the child and introduce yourself. Be warm and friendly. Ask him his name and where his parents are. Chances are, he lives in eyeshot of the playground. Just like you can see him from your home, it is likely that his parents can see him too.

Tell him you would like to meet his parents. If he invites you to meet them or asks them to come to the playground to meet you, that would be great. Otherwise, don’t press for his address. That could spook him. Instead, do pay attention and see if you can figure out where he lives so that you can ring the bell at another time to introduce yourself, welcome them to the neighborhood and point out that you have seen their son regularly by himself. Being alone at that age is unsafe.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently broke my nose. My doctor told me to consider a nose job to correct it. I am a singer, and he says a nose job could clear a new pathway to breathe and may help me sing better, taking deeper breaths and hitting higher notes. I did some research on the surgery and correction process, and I would love to have an added benefit to help my future career.

My parents are against it. They want my nose to heal naturally. There is a risk I will have a deformed nose from it being broken and not getting corrected. My parents do not want me going under for surgery, but despite my own fear, I know that this is a good option for me. They have made their wishes clear. I am on their insurance, but I am of age to make the decision on my own. Should I follow my wishes against theirs? Am I totally wrong if I do what I think is right for me? -- Nose Job

DEAR NOSE JOB: Get a second opinion. Share that with your parents. Rhinoplasty is a common and relatively safe surgery that can be helpful in allowing you to heal fully. The added benefit of better breathing is a bonus, for sure. Your parents are naturally nervous about you going under the knife. Perhaps a second opinion will assuage their worries.

If you proceed, let them know. Promise to pay any co-payments and deductibles, and proceed.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I adopted my son as a baby. When he was still young, we explained to him how we were brought together as a family, and he understood. Now he is in college. Through the years, he has asked about his birth parents but never expressed any interest in meeting them. He says nothing will change who his family is.

Last week, I received notification from our agency that my son’s birth mother has been trying to locate him and meet him. This instantly freaked me out. I knew that this could happen, but when he became an adult, I figured my worst nightmare had passed. Now that it has happened, I am tempted to contact them to deny the request. I know my son says he doesn’t want to meet her, but now that she wants to meet him, will he feel the same? I don’t want to tell him anything because I am scared of losing him. Am I a horrible person if I pretend I didn’t see it? I’ve always had a transparent relationship with my son and tell it like it is, but this time feels different, and I don’t know if I can do this. Should I tell him? -- I’m His Mother

DEAR I’M HIS MOTHER: Of course you should tell your son that his birth mother is looking for him. You would never forgive yourself -- and he may never forgive you -- for withholding that information. Rest assured that your son loves you and knows that you are his mother. He is a young man now and deserves to gain whatever resolution he needs by meeting the woman who brought him into the world. Tell him.

DEAR HARRIETT: My wife and I have gone through about three maids. Every time we hire a maid, my wife fires them after only a month. She complains about how things are not being done the way she has explained to them. She definitely wants a maid. We have five kids and both work from home while the kids are learning virtually. We are home all the time but find it hard to keep up with housework, so a maid is needed.

But my wife has high demands, and I feel bad that we are continually firing someone each month. It is a difficult time, and people are looking for work. To hire them and fire them so quickly, I can imagine, puts them in a tough position. Not to mention, reviewing candidates to hire every single month is becoming an extra job. I have tried to tell my wife how unreasonable she is, but if she’s unhappy with the housework, then she is going to find someone else. I am getting exhausted in this pattern. I believe in the idea "If you want something done right, then you have to do it yourself," but we are drowning in work. We need to compromise to accept help. I need my wife to stop criticizing every single thing. Any suggestions to get her to pull back? -- Wife Runs the House

DEAR WIFE RUNS THE HOUSE: Get your wife to agree to give the next maid space to get the job done without her overseeing every step. Have your wife provide a written list of duties that the maid checks off each time they come. Convince your wife to let you manage this process for three months. Just like probation at work, give this employee 90 days to get it right.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)