Stuck Inside: What to do When...

You Feel Lonely

Talk About It: Even though Cooper Union offices are physically closed, please know that our faculty and staff are absolutely still very much present and here to support you.

  • If you would like to speak with a therapist about how you have been feeling, you can connect with Cassandra or Elizabeth (our in-house counselors) for a scheduled virtual therapy session. Feel free to stop by (online) and say hi, even if it’s just to see a friendly face. Go here to schedule.
  • In addition to Cassandra and Elizabeth, you can also connect with a counselor 24/7 through the Cooper Care App. Through Cooper Care, students can access 24/7 physical healthcare appointments; pre-scheduled 45-minute counseling appointments; as well as TherapyNow, a 15-minute on-demand mental health consultation for more urgent needs. These are free to Cooper students and don’t require insurance.
  • Additionally, Cooper’s network of off-campus counselors remains available for support.  If you are seeking a counselor, several counselors in our network can do phone or video sessions. See more about our Information for our counseling program.

Connect with a Friend or Family Member: Even though social isolation is currently the new social norm, that doesn’t mean we have to isolate alone.

  • While text and email are a great way to connect, make time to face time with those you miss the most. It’s important we stay connected to our loved ones, now more than ever.
  • Schedule Facetime, Skype, or Zoom lunches, dinners, or even workout sessions with your friends.
  • If you find that you and your friends are busy or working on different projects, you may not always be able to find time to talk. Try setting up a video chat anyway, just so you both know there is company in the room.
  • Yale’s online course, The Science of Well-Being is free and incredibly popular.  For more information, see
  • Connect with friends and family over something fun!

You Feel Distracted

  • Learning remotely and working from home can be a challenge, especially when you’ve never experienced it before. It may take some time to adjust to and that’s okay.
  • If you find yourself distracted or unable to get anything done during your “workday”, ask yourself, “what might be getting in the way"? Do you find that you are constantly turning to your phone when you intended on working on a project? Are you playing with the family pet instead of working on a paper?
  • Think about what might be distracting you from your intended work and minimize these distractions where possible. This might include, turning off your phone for a specific period of time, trying to work in a separate room away from distractions (i.e. family pets, siblings, etc.), or politely asking members of your household not to disturb you until a certain time during the day.
  • Connect with a friend over face time and work together – separately. It might help to have a friend help you keep focus and hold you accountable if they see you becoming distracted too often.

You Feel Bored

Let’s face it, most of us have been working remotely for a little over a week and have already experienced annoying levels of boredom. We can’t go out to eat, we can’t hang out with our friends, and we can’t work in our classrooms or studios.

  • We know what we aren’t able to do, but is there anything we can do instead? Probably!
  • Is there a personal project you’ve been wanting to work on, but typically don’t have time or energy for? Are there hobbies you’ve always wanted to explore? Are there computer programs you’ve always wanted to master (i.e. photoshop, excel, etc.)? Is there a closet in your home you have always wanted to organize? Do you have a box of photos you’ve always wanted to put in an album? Is there a recipe you’ve always wanted to try?
  • Many of us have little side projects we’ve always wanted to work on but have never had time for. If you find yourself bored, mindlessly scrolling, or looking for something to do, perhaps now’s the time to prioritize you.
  • Go for that run, clean that closet, finish that knitting project, update your resume, and master that computer program. And don’t forget to wash your hands.

You Feel Lost or Confused

Recognize that a lot of people are feeling this way and that it’s absolutely okay. There’s a lot of uncertainty and a lot of unanswered questions about what happens next. That’s okay, too. In the meantime, please remember that we are here to help and support you. Stay close to your community, reach out when you need to talk, and remember the only way we get through this is together. We also have additional resources.

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.