Activities and Community
Wellness and Engagement
The Office of Graduate Student Life strives to provide resources and programming to help graduate students manage common stressors and discover personal enrichment opportunities so they can better enjoy their graduate school experience.
With programming, facilities, and experiences available from various campus units, graduate students have many options to create a safe, fun, and engaging environment for themselves and others on the graduate school journey.
Activities Around Campus
It is important to take time out as a graduate student to rest, reflect, and have fun! The UCF campus offers many activities and spaces for students to do so. Here are just a few ways graduate students can reset without going very far.
Sweat it out at the Recreation and Wellness Center (RWC). Students who have paid their Activity and Service Fee can enjoy an unlimited membership to all the RWC facilities and programs; at no cost.
Take advantage of outdoor activities such as paddling and volleyball right on campus at the Lake Claire Recreation Area.
Decompress by visiting the UCF Arboretum, where you can go for a quiet walk on a nature trail (UCF has 14 miles worth!), volunteer in the community garden, or even take a guided tour.
Connect with the UCF Arts community by attending a concert, inviting a friend to a play, or visiting the UCF Art Gallery. Don’t forget about UCF Celebrates the Arts, held over two weeks each spring.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is the free-of-charge campus agency designated to provide comprehensive psychological services to university-enrolled students. CAPS offers crisis intervention, counseling (including individual appointments and group sessions), presentation services, professional consultation, and graduate training.
Graduate Student Life partners with UCF CAPS to provide workshops, programming, and resources. These events can be found on the Graduate Student Life event calendar.
CAPS Workshops
CAPS offers a variety of workshops open to all students every semester. A full list of upcoming workshops can be found here: https://caps.sdes.ucf.edu/groups/caps-workshops/
Therapy Assisted Online (TAO) Self Help
Provided by UCF CAPS, Therapy Assisted Online (TAO) Self Help is an interactive, web-based program that provides assistance to help overcome anxiety, depression, and other concerns. TAO is based on well-researched and highly effective strategies.
You can choose to view short helpful videos, take part in brief exercises, use logs to track moods and progress, and access a Mindfulness Library. All UCF students are eligible for TAO Self-Help. You need a Knights email address.
Togetherall
Togetherall is an free online peer-to-peer platform, offering a safe space to connect with others experiencing similar feelings. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you to explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. There are always trained professionals on hand, 24/7, 365 days a year. And, if sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has tools and courses to help you look after yourself, along with plenty of resources to explore.
Supporting Students in Distress
Provided by UCF CAPS, Supporting Students in Distress is a set of role-playing avatar modules to educate faculty, staff, and students about mental health and suicide prevention.