General

October 29, 2017 — It’s that point in the semester again.  The pages of your agenda are filled with due dates of midterms, papers, and group projects.  The amount of hours you sleep dwindles and the cups of coffee you consume skyrocket.  You manage to go to your 9 am lecture while running on four hours of sleep and […]

August 21, 2017 — Everyone has advice for you when you first go to college: Avoid taking 8 am classes. Go to every class. Learn how to resolve conflicts with roommates. Don’t schedule more than an hour between classes. etc. etc. Freshman year was hard for me. I had moved out of state, was going to a school where […]

June 23, 2017 — Content Warning: This piece contains mentions of suicidal ideation. I was blessed to discover Active Minds, which allowed me to make lemonade out of lemons (my bipolar diagnosis). At one point in my life, I wasn’t looking forward to the future. A year later, I am motivated beyond belief to give back to this organization. […]

May 3, 2017 — “Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Provin Nature’s laws wrong it learned how to walk without Havin feet Funny it seems but, by keepin its dreams It, learned to breathe FRESH air Long live the rose that grew from concrete When no one else even cared No […]

April 18, 2017 — A note from Active Minds: Many people have found 13 Reasons Why triggering. In making your own decision to watch or not watch, we encourage you to review this resource from the Jed Foundation and SAVE. Markie’s perspective below is one of the many nuanced ways that mental health advocates and organizations have responded to […]

April 3, 2017 — Content Warning: This piece contains mentions of suicide. As someone interested in mental health, you may know the numbers to the Crisis Text Line (text BRAVE to 741741) and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) by heart. What you may not know is what happens — and what doesn’t happen — once you pick up […]

March 31, 2017 — Content Warning: This piece contains mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation. The Active Minds community is so saddened to hear of Amy Bleuel’s death. Four years ago, Amy, the founder of Project Semicolon, posted a note on social media encouraging anyone who is depressed, unhappy, has anxiety, or is suicidal to draw a semicolon on […]

March 27, 2017 — This post was written by Monica Porter, Esq., Equal Justice Works Fellowship Attorney, Disability Rights Advocates. Setting the stage:  What is a leave of absence? Generally, a leave of absence is a break in studies. A leave may be voluntary or involuntary, and taken for medical or other personal reasons. A note on terminology: Your […]

March 24, 2017 — Catching up on the news can sometimes leave us feeling more pessimistic than informed. Some may avoid the media altogether to spare themselves the stress, while others are glued to their screens, unable to disengage from the 24/7 coverage. How can we balance our mental health with staying up to date on current events? What […]

March 13, 2017 — This post is the second in a two-part series on life after Active Minds. Have you ever considered Active Minds to be more like a second major or part-time job than an extracurricular activity? Has your time with Active Minds in college made you consider a career in mental health advocacy? Are you seeking any […]