The Stress of College

Stress, It Happens to All of Us

One of my biggest worries when my kids left for college, was would they be able to handle the stress of college life. There are a lot of things to juggle when they are away at school for the first time. Besides the adjustment of living away from home, they are now dealing with classes, homework, and exams that are all heading them down the path for their future. Being able to cope with new situations, parties, new friends, can be a lot for many new college students. I encourage you to talk to your child often, even if they don’t want to, just to make sure that they are adjusting well no matter what year they are in. UNF offers different ways to cope with the stress of college.

As a part of UNF’s health and wellness/wellbeing program, they offer diverse programs and services that will foster physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual development which will lead to achieving and maintaining holistic health. UNF offers monthly events that have a different theme,i.e. physical activity, body image, etc. Another great program that UNF offers are Wellness Guides. These are resources that UNF offers in different disciplines – environmental health, mental health, sexual health, social health, and spiritual health. Each program has on-campus, local and online resources in their respective subject matter.

Another amazing program that UNF offers is the Open Art Therapy Studio.  This art session is currently held on Wednesdays from 2:30 p.m –  4:30 p.m. Any student may participate and you do not have to be a current client of the counseling center. Art supplies are provided. 

UNF’s counseling center also offers a Relaxation Room. The relaxation room is meant to provide a safe and relaxing space for members of the UNF Community to quiet their mind, reduce stress, and refresh and restore themselves. The relaxation room is located in the UNF Counseling Center (Building 2 / Room 2300) and is available for use Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you are interested in the room, would like to visit the room, or have any questions, you can call the center at (904)-620-2602.  In addition to the Relaxation Room, UNF’s counseling center offers a list of apps that are beneficial in anxiety reduction, stress management, and coping.  They are all available on Apple and Android products.

UNF OspreyPERCH is also a very good program for students struggling with stress. The OspreyPERCH Program is a campus-wide mental health initiative organized out of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. PERCH stands for Prevention, Early Intervention, and Resiliency through Counseling and Holistic Health. This program places counselors-in-training in places across campus where they can easily and more casually meet students where students live, study, and play.  

You can also remind your student of the basic rules of preventing stress like eating well, drinking fluids, getting rest – all areas that should be incorporated in student’s lives. When my daughter complains that she is overwhelmed and stressed, I always make sure that she is eating and getting plenty of rest. Many times we overlook the importance of this. Remind your students of the basics rules of preventing stress like avoiding procrastination, and staying away from stimulants (drinking coffee and energy drinks to fuel late-night study binges can inevitably lead to a crash later on). Of course, setting realistic expectations is also a wise way to decrease stress levels. It is obvious that UNF really cares about its Ospreys and realizes that their lives, like everyone else, can get stressful. The key is learning to work through it.

You know your student better than anyone else and if you feel that they need something more, the counseling center can help (904) 620-2602.  The website offers many different options that can help your students. Pass on these great tips, tell your friends and like us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Find out more about how to use HaveUHeard as a great resource. Sign up for other great tips at haveuheard.com.