College is an exhilarating time, especially for the students at the University of Iowa. Young adults are finally out of the house and given the freedom to do whatever, whenever. They have the option of going to new places and staying out late, all without the need of parental consent. This is the time for discovering new interests, meeting new people, learning, and finding oneself. College may sound like the perfect place, however, not everyone is excited for this change. Many students struggle adapting to this new environment full of choices. Not only are they having to leave their families that they have lived with for the past eighteen years, but they are also having to leave behind their homes, pets, schools, and friends. To top it all …show more content…
There is no doubt that all of these changes can affect the mental well-being of a college student. Mental health is an important issue that college students face because of the immense changes that are occurring in their lives. This issue needs to be a focal point for the University of Iowa if they truly care about their students and want them to enjoy their learning environment. The University has established counseling services for their students, now it is their job to increase and improve their services. The University of Iowa Counseling Services (UCS) is problematic due to the insufficient number of counselors available, the limited amount of sessions offered, and the inconvenient location of their …show more content…
This problem goes along with the issue of location because students have no other option but to journey to the west side of campus for help. In contrast, the University does offer other services for students that are scattered throughout campus, such as the outreach clinics of Student Health and Wellness. These clinics provide medical and wellness services by informing students on health related topics such as nutrition, fitness, sexual health, and drug and alcohol abuse. These services are located in two locations on campus, the IMU, where there are nurses on staff, and the campus rec center (CRWC). Because of these three locations, Students have more access to help and have the ability to choose locations near them. The University also offers a variety of academic help to its students in various locations. If the University can offer all of these resources to help students’ physical health and academic work, they should be able to provide more resources for their students’ mental health. By only offering help in one building, the University is lowering the chances of students going to get help by limiting their accessibility to helpful
The policy analysis is based on the increasing numbers of cases on mental health issues in college and university campuses. The topic is supported by evidential data collected from various studies and peer-reviewed articles that show the statistical prevalence of the most common forms of mental health issues seen among the students, which shows that the prevalence rate is ever-increasing. The methodologies recommended for implementation include increased availability of resources and facilitating the accessibility of these resources through overcoming barriers. Some policy options have been suggested for consideration and recommendations have been made accordingly. The fiscal impact has also been considered and suggestions
Colombo explains that “Beginning college can be disconcerting experience” (Colombo, p.1). That there will be more peer pressure from your peers and an increase expectations that you have never faced during your high school days. “In the dorms you may find yourself among people whose backgrounds make them seem foreign and unapproachable” (Colombo, p.1). Colombo also states “If you commute, you may be struggling against a feeling of isolation that you’ve never faced before” (Colombo, p. 1).
Students entering college for the first time become concerned with their college life. The students are on their own once they enter college. There are no parents or guardians telling them when to do homework, when to go to bed, or how to eat healthy. These students are now responsible for how they are going to succeed in school and meet their own needs. From the beginning, these students wonder what their experience is going to be like and are they going to handle the demands of college?
Mental Wellness is a topic that many were almost completely silent about until very recently. However, in recent years it has become more and more discussed and - as a result of the fast paced, technology driven lives most college students are living - mental health issues have become more prevalent. For these reasons, Mental Wellness is a topic with lots of newsworthy stories. Institutions, like SU, are now in a position where they must respond to the fact that mental health issue are a serious issue on campus. Students are more eager than ever to talk about mental wellness and break the stigma. Studies are being conducted all over regarding
When coming to college your whole money situation changes, suddenly you're bombarded with housing costs and student loans that you have to pay back or you will spiral into debt. Your whole life changes you don't have your parents paying for your voluptuous wants and needs, you’re on your own. The move from high school understudy to college undergrad is a standout amongst the most upsetting and essential times in an adolescent's life. Not only is your day to day life going to change but your spending habits have to change. The school years are a period where a high school student leaves their support team behind,
Every year there are thousands of students planning and tracking their goals. Seniors in high school are faced with the tough challenge, while the Juniors are left to worry another year. Finally, the point comes a student’s life where they must make one of the most important decisions in their educational lifetime. That choice is, which college to attend, and it is a very scrutinous process. Two of such colleges are the University of Iowa and St. Ambrose University, and although similarities like majors and minors are evident, there are many other differences including student life.
According to an article by Josephine Marcotty in Minneapolis’ Star Tribune from April 10, college students lead “hyper-enriched lives,” said Greg Kneser, dean of students at St. Olaf College. That’s what makes this generation of students distinct from its predecessors, he said. That is why more students who cannot cope with these feelings end up at college counseling centers with “increasingly serious mental-health problems.” 15 to 20 percent of college students nationally were diagnosed with depression. The second most common diagnosis was severe anxiety. According to the article, it is not unusual for mental-health issues to become apparent during a student’s college years.
Race, by definition, refers to biological characteristics of individuals as reflected in their physical appearance (Lyndonna Marrast, David U. Himmelstein, and Steffie Woolhandler, 2016) Contrary to popular race, the concept of race is not something that is intrinsic to human nature; in other words, it is an aspect of society that has been socially constructed with the intention of separation and segregation. Usually, those that are placed into racial categories are associated with certain prejudices and biases that are the result of multiple stereotypes that are perpetuated in our society; for example, there are multiple stigmas of African Americans in today’s society. As a result, this has allowed for the development of a specific way of
Many first-year college students face problems as they enter a new educational environment that is very different than that of high school. However, the common problem is that many first-year students become stressed. For many students, college is supposed to be the most fun time of their life; however, their fun can be restricted if it is limited by stress and other mental illnesses. According to the National Health Ministries (2006), stress is caused by “greater academic demands,” the feeling of being independent from family, “financial responsibility,” homesickness, being exposed to meeting new people, peer pressure, “awareness of one’s own sexual identity,” and the abuse of drugs and alcohol (p. 2). However, the causes of first year students’ stress mainly include academic demand, parents, finances, and peer pressure.
Everyone feels anxious and stressed at times. However, when these feelings become a common every day ordeal, they can have devastating effects on one’s mental health. In recent years, the number of college students who are saying they have mental illnesses has been steadily increasing. Not everyone is going to be willing to get help, and the result of that could be a drop in academic performance and overall unhappiness. What colleges need to do is provide means of helping those who need it and ways to keep stress levels down to prevent devastating mental disorders from developing.
Following my high school graduation, I attended Denison University for two years. Unfortunately, during this time, I struggled with financial issues that took a toll on my mental health. Due to anxiety and depression, I experienced two difficult semesters emotionally and academically. I had to be hospitalized for a week in the spring of 2016, and thus fell behind in two of my classes. I experienced similar difficulties in the spring of 2017 when my anxiety and depression worsened due to the ongoing financial stress of high tuition along with other personal issues.
As it has been proven, students and depression across campuses are becoming more common daily, and it must be taken as a serious matter. There are many causes that result in depression, such as personal stress and academic stress. This severely influences a student’s life and can bring about extreme negative outcomes like suicide or eating disorders. Luckily, there are cures for this major issue. Counseling centers and mentors in the classroom and in residence halls can impact a student’s overall well-being and attitude towards his or her daily life. Depression, in conclusion, is an extremely dangerous mental illness that, if not cured with the correct treatments, could become detrimental to students across the globe.
When students are still in high school, college looms in the distance like an ominous cloud. Frankly, all of the students are scared about going to college. When students go to college they feel like going to the great unknown – to go to a place where they don’t know anyone. But after all college is not that bad.
Our society today does not value our mental health like it should. If society would only pay as much attention to mental health, they would be better off in the long run. Think about an athlete playing a sport, they certainly understand how important physical health is. When a baseball player injures his knee, he is out and waits until it heals. But like many people, mental health is overlooked. Most teenagers do not realize that the many things like stress or eating disorders are coming from a poor mental state. They think that if they just ignore it they will snap out of it, this is not true and many times this kind of thinking will only make it worse (Change Your Mind). Mental health is not seen as important as physical health due to misconceptions and stigma behind mental health patients. By increasing the importance of personal mental health, people can reduce issues associated with mental health problems and raise awareness for people who suffer from mental health issues.
Most of us would agree that college is one of the most exciting, yet most challenging times of our lives. It is typically our first time living away from home for an extended period of time. When I went away to college, I was eager to embrace the next chapter of my life because it was something life-changing that I had yet to experience. However, entering college was also scary for me because nobody handed me a “how to survive college” guidebook. I feel that everyone should be given a book full of tips and tricks that outline the ups and downs that lie ahead throughout our college experience, so that we can maximize our time in school and reach our full potential. That this why this anthology is important for all of us. This anthology summarizes some of the most important tips to survive college, that I have learned thus far as a current freshman about to finish my fall semester. No matter who you are or where you come from, these few, simple tips to be explained will help ease the transition from high school and living at home to college and living on your own. This topic is meaningful because I know how it feels to go off to college excited for the journey ahead, nervous to leave family and friends, and not knowing what to expect. This guidebook should help future freshman to succeed and make the most of their