What’s Happening in Wellbeing

Take a Break at The Wellbeing Experience

By Kristina Covarrubias November 1st, 2024

We’re about to enter the home stretch of the semester. During this very busy season, and again during the hustle and bustle of January, be sure to take time for yourself. Join us for The Wellbeing Experience, where you can take a break, connect with others, and take care of your overall wellbeing.

• Wednesday, December 4, 3–6pm in Metcalf Ballroom (GSU 2nd floor)
• Wednesday, January 29, 5–7pm in the Hiebert Lounge (INS Building, 14^th floor, BUMC).

By visiting unique stations, students will experience wellbeing activities that can be incorporated into their lives in ways big and small during their college years and beyond! Try the Hangout Hammocks. Practice Gratitude on the Spot. Relax in the Zen Zone. Or get nostalgic at The Play Station.

Food and refreshments will be served. This event is always a student favorite – so grab your friends and we’ll see you there!

Check out BU Today’s feature on the Wellbeing Experience.

Check Hunger Food Drive November 2024

By Kristina Covarrubias October 16th, 2024

Bring shelf stable food items to any BU women's or men's hockey home game in November and be entered to win an 8-person suite to the 2/15 men's game against Providence!

It is estimated that 30-50% of college students experience food insecurity. Learning and thriving can’t happen when a student is concerned about where their next meal will come from.

We have the unique opportunity to provide assistance to those within our own community. Help BU Student Wellbeing “Check Hunger” by bringing non-perishable food items to any Terriers' home hockey games in November. Donations will be collected in the Agganis Arena lobby, then delivered to the BU Food Pantry, which is open to all BU students.

Bring your items to any of the following games:

• Friday 11/1 BU Women vs Providence (3 pm)
• Friday 11/1 BU Men vs Michigan (7pm)
• Saturday 11/2 BU Men vs Michigan (7pm)
• Friday 11/8 BU Women vs Merrimack (3 pm)
• Friday 11/8 BU Men vs UMass Lowell (7pm)
• Friday 11/15 BU Women vs BC (6 pm)
• Friday 11/22 BU Men vs Merrimack (7pm)
• Wednesday 11/27 BU Women vs Princeton (2 pm)

Your donation will enter you to win a suite for 8 at the 2/15/25 men’s hockey game against Providence. Parking and food included!

Learn more about the BU Food Pantry.

Items accepted at the Food Pantry are:

• Canned beans
• Canned soups
• Canned vegetables
• Pasta
• Mac and cheese
• Granola bars
• Oatmeal
• Boxed Cereal
• Dry Beans
• White or brown rice (1-2 pound bags)
• Canned tuna or chicken
• Peanut butter
• Jam/jelly

Thanks to partners BU Women's Hockey, BU Men's Hockey, BU Athletics and the Agganis Arena.

BU Meetup Returns for AY24/25!

By Pedro Cesca Falci September 25th, 2024

Calling all graduate students! Are you looking to meet people from different departments and grow your BU network? BU Meetup invites you to do just that - enjoy more casual interactions across academic units.

Back for a third year with an improved user experience, this program will match students from different departments into small groups to meet for a walk, coffee, or outing of their choice. 

Sign-up here!

Here’s how it works. Once you complete the above sign-up form, you will receive an invitation to participate in each round of meetups. If you opt into a round, you will be randomly matched with three other BU students from different academic departments. The four participants will be joined together into a group chat through the GroupMe app, or text message (SMS) for those students without the app (we recommend downloading the free app for the best experience).

Once in a group chat, all you need to do is introduce yourself and find a meetup time that works for all! BU Meetup is meant to be whatever you make of it, so make friends, build connections, or just share grad school experiences!

For more on BU Meetup's history, check out this feature on BU Today.

About the founders: Eric Wellers (LAW '24) and Will Saunders (GRS '24) joined forces with a great idea: to connect graduate students that are interested in meeting peers from other programs on campus. Originally piloted by Eric at LAW, Will brought his tech expertise to the table by creating an application to match graduate students into trios as an opportunity to socialize and foster community. With lots of work and determination, BUMeetUp launched in Fall 2022.

New Student Wellbeing Workshop for International Students

By Kristina Covarrubias September 24th, 2024

Student Wellbeing has added a new workshop, Thriving Globally: Your Wellbeing and Academic Success Abroad, to its list of offerings.

This new workshop has been created specifically for both international students at BU and for students planning to study abroad.

Studying in a new country is an exciting adventure, but it can also come with its own set of challenges. In this workshop, explore seven key dimensions of wellbeing that are crucial for your academic and professional success. We will also delve into the concepts of "culture shock" and "culture fatigue," examining their effects on your wellbeing. You will take away practical strategies and resources to support your adjustment at BU and abroad, helping you thrive both personally and academically as you embrace your new cultural environment.

Workshop will be offered  for international students Wednesday, November 13, from 4-5 pm at 888 Commonwealth Ave. 2^nd floor 240 (entrance on Dummer St). Co-sponsored by Global Programs.

Register for the 11/13 workshop here. 

Warm Coat Drive to Provide Coats for BU Students

By Kristina Covarrubias September 18th, 2024

Have an extra coat that you can donate to a student-in-need?  The annual Warm Coat Drive is an opportunity for all members of the BU community to donate gently worn or new coats that will be distributed to BU students. Any remaining coats will be donated to Goodwill Industries.

Coat Collection October 11-17.

Collection bin locations:

• BUMC (next to Chequers Café)
• Center for Career Development (6th floor of Yawkey Center for Student Services)
• FitRec Lobby
• George Sherman Union Lobby, next to piano
• GSDM Student Affairs, G-158
• Life Science and Engineering, 24 Cummington Mall Lobby
• One Silber Way
• Questrom Lobby
• 25 Buick Street Lobby

Coats will be distributed October 21 and 22 at the Medical Campus and Charles River Campus. If you are a student worried about affording a coat this winter and would like to inquire about receiving a free coat, please fill out the Coat Drive Interest Form below.

The Warm Coat Drive is part of a larger effort to ensure students’ most basic needs are met. Explore resources available to support core needs both on campus and in the local community including meals, clothing, and emergency needs.

This drive is a partnership between Center for Career Development, Newbury Center, Student Wellbeing, and Sustainability.

Back for Fall 2024: Stress ReLeaf: Working with Tea for Calm & Focus

By Kristina Covarrubias August 27th, 2024

This Student Wellbeing initiative uses tea as a catalyst for mindfulness. Through education and relaxation we will explore the ancient practice of gong fu cha (“making tea with skill”) and cultivate a space that focuses on the present moment.

Workshop offered Mondays, from 4-5 pm, at the LGBTQIA+ Student Resource Center, 2^nd floor, 808 Commonwealth Avenue.

Registration required. Registration links will be updated each week in advance of the following week’s session.

Register here

Fall 2024 Workshop Dates:

September 16
September 23
September 30
October 7
October 21
October 28
November 4
November 18
November 25
December 2

And be sure to check out this video in BU Today for a sneak peek at this awesome workshop!