Subject: Good Luck on Finals! 

To: All Students

Dear Seawolves, 

As the semester winds down and final exams approach, we hope you are looking forward to the winter break as a time to relax, recharge, and enjoy time with family and friends. If you are graduating this December, congratulations! We’re so proud of you! 

If you’re currently a resident student, you are welcome to remain on campus during any or all of the winter break. 

We know the end of the semester can be a stressful time, so we want to offer you some advice and helpful resources: 

Take Care of Yourself 

As you study for your final exams and work hard on your final projects, remember that doing a good job is just as important as self-care. Self-care means taking care of yourself so that you are healthy, well, able to focus on studying, and successfully finish everything you want to accomplish. Part of self-care and stress relief is also getting a good night’s sleep and eating healthy meals.

Take a Break 

We have several events planned to help you destress during finals week. Counseling and Psychological Services will be offering drop-in mindfulness meditation sessions as well as everyone’s favorite furry CAPS’ PALS! Check SBEngaged for dates and times. The Center for Prevention and Outreach is hosting a Healing Arts event on Friday, December 2 from 6-8pm at the Union Ballroom, where you can learn about self-care while working on an arts and crafts project. Also on Monday, December 5, don’t forget to stop by Midnight Breakfast from 11pm-1am at East Side Dining for free hot breakfast and good times!     

Be Safe: 

If you will be traveling off-campus, keep in mind the following:  

• If you are traveling by car, stay safe and alert, and please get a good night’s sleep before getting behind the wheel.
• You will probably want to get together with friends you haven't seen in a long time and celebrate the holidays. Remember your Red Watch Band training and be mindful that alcohol use may alter judgment and impact good decision-making.  

Reach Out if You Need Help

If you are feeling stressed out and need to talk to someone, there is help available to you. You can make an appointment to talk to a counselor at CAPS or you can speak to a counselor 24/7 through TimelyCare, our telehealth platform. In addition, the CAPS Crisis Line is available 24/7 at (631) 632-6720 if you have an urgent mental health need.  

If you’re away for the winter break and need to connect with a counselor, medical provider, health coach or just talk to someone about something in your mind, just go to timelycare.com/stonybrook or download the TimelyCare app (iOS or Android) to use this free service. 

The Student Support Team is also available to help students navigate through difficult situations, academic or personal, that may impact their success at SBU. You can contact the Student Support Team at student_suppportteam@stonybrook.edu or (631) 632-7320. 

If You See Something, Say Something

If there is ever a situation where you feel unsafe or need help, call University Police at 333 from a campus phone or (631) 632-3333 from non-campus phones. If you are not on campus, contact 911 for your local police. Stony Brook’s Good Samaritan policy encourages you to call for help in an alcohol or other drug related emergency without fear of facing university sanctions in most instances. 

Stay Healthy

We typically see an increase in respiratory diseases, such as the flu and COVID, during the holidays and winter time. Please do your part to keep our campus community safe and healthy by closely following these safety measures:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer whenever soap and water are not available.
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. 
• If you don’t feel well, stay home and rest. 
• Get your flu shot and your COVID booster as soon as you are eligible.
• Know your community COVID infection levels and make an informed choice on whether to wear a mask, and in which situations. Follow local and state health and safety requirements.  

Good luck on finals, Seawolves. Enjoy your time off and see you in the new year! 

Sincerely,

Rick Gatteau, PhD
Vice President for Student Affairs

Marisa Bisiani, DNP, ANP-BC
Assistant Vice President 
Student Health, Wellness and Prevention Services