1. You should attempt to get back to a normal routine to the greatest extent possible. If you can, try to make arrangements to get back to school. If that is not possible, try to find some set of activities that will feel useful and productive.
   
2. It is extremely important to try to get enough sleep and to maintain a proper diet. People who are exhausted and starving are more susceptible to stress, anxiety and depression.
   
3. Find ways to give meaning to the situation and your life. People who volunteer and help others in the face of disasters are less prone to feelings of hopelessness and depression.
   
4. It is important to be realistic about what you can accomplish. Don’t endanger yourself. Recognize that you cannot do everything for everyone. But, individuals can make a difference.
   
5. Some disruptions of sleep, concentration, appetite, and mood (increased sadness and/or fearfulness) are natural responses to traumatic events. These are cause for concern if problems are so severe that it becomes difficult to function. If sleep becomes impossible, if thinking is severely impaired (i.e. your thinking becomes disorganized or fragmented and people can’t understand what you are trying to say), if fear becomes crippling, if sadness is overwhelming or you have thoughts of dying or suicide you should get help immediately.
   
6. While it may be appealing to use alcohol and drugs to ease the difficult feelings resulting from these events, these substances will give you some short term relief at the cost of longer term pain and distress. They will, over time, lead to increased feeling of depression and more difficulty functioning.
   
7. For many people, symptoms will ease with the passage of time. If things appear to be worsening, counseling and possibly some short term medication may be enough to get back on track. Sometimes people may need support for longer periods of time.
   
8. When necessary, treatment helps.
   
9. For those with preexisting psychiatric problems, it is important to do what you can to continue your treatment. Find out what services are available in your college or host school. You can also find information on locating a psychiatrist here.
   
10. If you feel vulnerable or frightened, let someone know. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Recommendations for Colleges:

1. Recognize that while it is of utmost importance to be vigilant and active in providing support, most students are quite resilient in the face of stress. It is reassuring for your students to know that help is there, even if they choose not to use it. But, it will also help to remind students that people have dealt with adversity in the past and most will eventually do fine.
   
2. Mandatory and emergency crisis counseling and debriefing programs, while well-intentioned, have not been shown to be of help. There are indeed suggestions that these programs may be detrimental to the recovery of some people attending them. Avoid mandatory counseling in crisis situations. Young people, in general, prefer to talk about troubling events among themselves.
   
3. Make sure that “first line” staff (such as RA’s and student affairs personnel) are aware of the possibility of stress responses among directly affected and otherwise vulnerable students.
   
4. Make sure that adequate counseling services are available for affected and vulnerable students. If necessary, look for ways to partner with off campus mental health resources.
   
5. It is important that students have access to good communication systems. Facilitating students' ability to contact affected families and friends is encouraged.
   
6. Be flexible. Recognize that some students may not be able to work at their typical academic level during times of disaster. Think about pass/fail options and flexible leave of absence policies.
   
7. Recognize that this crisis will continue to have an impact on some members of your student body for weeks and months. Continue to monitor for delayed and worsening stress reactions. If you are concerned about a student, find a clinician at your counseling center, student health service center, or in your community with whom to consult.