DR. WALLACE: I'm a college student, 20 years old and female. My best friend also attends my college, and we spend a lot of time talking about guys, doing group activities and, of course, eventually dating guys we find interesting. My friend is really into psychology and details. She tells me that every guy will give you a lot of indicators right away when you first meet them. She tells me to especially look at their shoes and to see if they wear a watch (and what type it is). She claims that shoes and watches tell you 50% of everything you need to know about a guy!

Do you think this is true? Of course, there are several other things we all take notice of when we meet people we are potentially interested in. We notice how they dress, whether they smile a lot or not, how their features look and so forth.

Does it make sense to ignore a lot of the things I normally look at and to focus specifically on shoes and watches to get really strong clues? Part of me thinks she's full of hot air, but another part of me thinks she may be onto something because she's so into details and psychology. I would ask her about this, but I already know what she'll say, so I thought I would look for a neutral and independent voice like yours! — Do Shoes Make the Man?, via email

DO SHOES MAKE THE MAN?: I personally think she's overstating things quite a bit, even though I will readily admit that shoes and even a watch can be important indicators of certain tendencies when meeting someone new.

However, facial features, a nice smile, a comfortable demeanor, the ability to use a good tone of voice and interact smoothly and comfortably are all collectively much more important in my estimation than simply looking at shoes and watches.

In today's modern world, the ability to meet someone and interact with them comfortably in person has become a bit of a lost art, so I hold those attributes as more important than a few isolated clothing accessories. I'm sure your friend means well, and perhaps she likes being the curator of "inside information" when it comes to sizing up people, but I feel her emphasis on the items she indicated are far less important than the overall personality and style each individual possesses.

MY BROTHER WENT WILD OVER MY AFTERNOON NAPS!

DR. WALLACE: I'm a female college student, and on certain days of the week there's a several-hour gap in my schedule. Since I have a very busy life overall, there are times I get tired in the afternoons, so I bring an extra pillow in my car.

My car is big enough that I can hop into the backseat, lock everything up and take a nap for an hour or so twice a week in the school's parking structure. I was home with my family last weekend, and for whatever reason the subject of taking naps came up and I mentioned the strategy I've been using.

My younger brother, a senior in high school, kind of went ballistic and told me that I was taking a great chance to leave myself defenseless in my car like that. I told him that my car was always locked, but he said that I could easily be surprised by somebody breaking a window or trying to manipulate a tool to open the car without my knowledge.

Do you think he's simply trying to look out for his older sister in his usual over-the-top way, or does he actually have a point here? I never really gave it much thought, as I didn't think it was dangerous at all to take a nap in a locked car in a secure garage at 1 p.m. — I Benefit From an Occasional Nap, via email

I BENEFIT FROM AN OCCASIONAL NAP: Your brother being so boisterous in his response to you does not negate the fact that he may have a valid point here. Before napping in your car, you should thoroughly check with your university to see if there are any designated areas where naps are either permitted or perhaps even encouraged.

Some colleges have student lounges or libraries that may have designated spots where napping is allowed. If you are fortunate enough to find one, be sure to prepare in advance to protect your personal belongings. Since you mentioned you have a vehicle on campus, you could easily walk out to your vehicle, secure your items in your locked car, and then try to find a designated, authorized place to take a quick power nap on campus.

Definitely go to your student union and speak to your professors and even university management to refine your search to find a suitable location. You may want to wear a watch or have a cellphone in your pocket with an alarm ready to go, but definitely put it on vibrate mode if you're in an area that could interrupt others.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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