Mental Health Resources
Taking Time to Take Care of Yourself
These range from low iron or blood sugar to depression or anxiety. For many students this is the first time they are living away from home and are responsible for their own well-being. Although many people see you each day and may genuinely care about you, no one is making sure that you are eating well, getting regular exercise, and are healthy. Indeed, it is less likely that people will recognize if you’re facing some minor or major emotional problem, especially if you are living off-campus.
It is important that you care for yourself, and ask for help and direction from your Resident Advisor, faculty advisor, or other campus or community office/agency.
Mental Health Services
Cornell offers mental wellness support to students through the following services, among others:
CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) at Cornell Health
Cornell University Health Services
Tel: 607.255.5155
CAPS has noted a trend that engineering students tend to wait a long time before they seek assistance. This behavior results from the– usually mistaken–belief that the problem solving skills of engineers extend to emotional and psychological issues. Failure to seek help usually ends up putting the student in more academic and personal risk. If you are really stressed, tired all the time, having trouble getting yourself to class, not able to complete assignments on time, confused about life in general, sad, anxious, or just want someone to talk to so you can decompress, contact CAPS. Oftentimes just talking with a trained professional can help you feel better.
Note: each student is limited to 12 individual counseling sessions per year, this is not long-term counseling.
EARS (Empathy, Assistance, and Referral Service)
EARS provides training, workshops, and outreach to promote mental health, well-being, and help-seeking among the Cornell campus community. EARS is transitioning to a different model, and is no longer providing direct support to students through peer counseling. You can learn more about the changes to EARS in this Chronicle story.
Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service
Tel: (607) 272-1616
Free and confidential.
Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service Website
General Medical Problems
Cornell Health
Tel: 607.255.5155
If you’ve had a lingering health concern, please have it checked out. Even minor illnesses can detract from your overall enjoyment of ‘the college experience’.