Like many students, sophomore advertising major Matthew Bell sometimes feels sad.
“It’s just this weird unhappiness I can’t explain,” Bell said. “Sometimes I’ll wake up and have a good day. Other times I’ll wake up and have a not-so-good day.”
On these “not-so-good days,” as Bell described them, he sometimes questions his self-worth, is unsure about the future, and spends hours wondering if his cardigan accurately expresses his personality.
“It’s just like, ‘Who am I?’ you know?” Bell said.
But Bell, who has been struggling with these kinds of mood swings since he could process human emotions, said he recently discovered a remedy. Whenever he feels sad, he remembers that he was accepted into the S.I . Newhouse School of Public Communications.
“All those feelings of mild self-hate just instantly disappear.” he said. “That one single thought is powerful enough to push all the negative ones away.”
Remembering you are in Newhouse is an effective and safe way to avoid feelings of sadness, said school psychologist Dr. Tracy Goldburg. “Instead of thoughtfully or productively thinking about who you are, remembering that you are in Newhouse skips that potentially painful process,” she said.
Other helpful tips Goldburg recommends include: hanging your Newhouse acceptance letter on your fridge, deep breathing exercises (deep breath in, and upon release whisper: “Conde Nast”), and complaining about “#newhouseprobs” on social media outlets.
“But remember,” Goldburg said, “A Newhouse problem is only an actual problem if you’re not in Newhouse.”
