Health

I take great pride in the fact that I recently graduated from Columbia University’s graduate program in pathology and cell biology. During my studies, I had the opportunity to conduct research in stem cell biology that could one day benefit the field of medicine at large and potentially help save lives. I was even able to participate in a clinical rotation where I could observe first-hand the world-class care that patients were receiving at Columbia’s various medical centers. However, contrary to my overall positive experiences at Columbia, it was disheartening to learn that Columbia is in violation of the federal law that mandates fair and transparent reporting of results from clinical trials.

At the third town hall held by the Mental Health Task Force, a sparsely populated crowd discussed ways in which the Berick Center for Student Advising could better serve the needs of students by increasing adviser advocacy on the behalf of their students and implementing a nonrandom system of adviser assignment.

As final exams and paper due dates draw nearer, and consequently, as the hours in Butler and trips to Blue Java pile up, mental health and self-care are ever more important. Though we at Spectrum acknowledge that it’s especially difficult to take some time for yourself at an institution with an infamous stress culture, see if you can forgo the 11th hour of studying this finals season to instead try some of our self-care suggestions.

When I was accepted to Barnard, I received my admitted student packet filled with several flyers, including an incomprehensible list of approved transfer credits, and a sleep mask with a note that said something along the lines of, “In the city that never sleeps, you’re going to need this.” It was both cute and ominous.

Consider these relatable make-believe interactions.

Columbia will only offer a single unified health insurance plan for students starting next fall, increasing premiums but decreasing out-of-pocket maximums for a majority of students currently on University health insurance, Columbia Health announced Wednesday.

Many of us are rightfully outraged about the recent college admissions scandal roiling the nation, in which parents paid bribes to coaches to earn admission to elite schools across the country. But really, the problem isn’t that people are buying their way into colleges like Yale; that has been done from time immemorial. The main issue at hand is that we’ve given coaches so much importance in the admissions process. Today, even with record low admissions rates, roughly 20 percent of each Columbia class is recruited.

It’s almost three in the morning, and this column is about how I can’t write this column. When I applied to be a columnist over winter break, high on codeine and Vicodin from the recent removal of all four of my wisdom teeth, I stated that I would be a good fit for the position because I would write about mental illness. I thought that I could write about my experiences in a way that was eloquent, that others could relate to, and that would show in a cohesive narrative that it doesn’t affect my success.

As the semester winds down and assignments pile up, it’s important to take care of your own mental health. It is pertinent to practice self-care and develop a better understanding of the resources available you can use in order to improve your own well-being.