School of Arts and Sciences

For Students

Dear Students,

Though it has been so since 1992, I was today-years-old when I learned that April is recognized as Stress Awareness Month. The timing seems quite apt for college students, as we enter into the final month of the semester, heading toward final exams. My guess is that I don’t need to convince you of how stressful college life can be. If I include my own four years of college, I have been in higher education for forty years. It seems like each year stress levels get higher and higher, with stressors coming from both within and outside the academic world. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our work lives and our personal lives. Climate change poses an existential challenge. Every year the divisiveness that characterizes our political discourse seems to intensify, making it harder and harder to talk across our differences. Economic uncertainties abound. Technological advances offer both challenges and opportunities.

And then there are all the pressures of being a college student, whether they be academic, financial, social, familial, or others.

It may not always be obvious, but I want to assure you that your faculty are aware of the stressfulness of your lives. They may show their concern, their compassion, and their support in different ways. And they may not always show it in the most obvious fashion. But make no mistake, we all want you to succeed during your time at Brandeis. And by that I don’t only mean academic success, but success in the broadest sense, success in living a fulfilling, satisfying life that is filled with learning but also with joy, with friendship, with love, and with meaning.

Not all of us are very good at asking for help when we need it. I am certainly not all that good at it. But it’s important to remember that seeking help is not a sign of weakness. It is, in fact, a sign of strength and resilience. There are lots of resources out there for you, starting with your professors, but extending well beyond them to include Academic Services, which provides advising and other academic support, the Brandeis Counseling Center, where you can find mental health support in a variety of different forms, the Center for Spiritual Life, which houses our chaplaincies and religious organizations, the Dean of Students Office, which provides resources to cultivate a community of care and a sense of belonging, the Gender and Sexuality Center, which provides support for women and members of the LGBTQ+ community, and the Intercultural Center, which provides a nurturing and inclusive haven for historically minoritized communities.

Please remember to take care of yourselves and one another, too. Take the breaks you need from your schoolwork. Make sure you remember to eat—and not just the junk food that’s so tempting! Exercise is important, but it doesn’t just have to be an intensive 45-minute cardio workout or a session with the weights. Go for walks—the weather is starting to warm up and spring in New England is a wonderful time to be outdoors. Put your headphones on, play your favorite music, and dance like no one is watching. Take the train into Boston and spend some time at one of its many wonderful art museums. Go catch a Red Sox game at Fenway (though that may actually raise your stress level a bit).

Wishing you all a successful end of the semester.

Sincerely,
Jeffrey