Second-Semester Wellness
The start of spring semester has a very different feel from the clean-slate excitement of the fall. For upper-class students, this semester can feel especially stressful. Whether feeling burdened by undertaking a job search or facing difficult academic issues, these four months can be emotional for students.
During this potentially stressful time, students should remember that Counseling and Consultation Services, part of University Health Services (UHS), ensures quick and easy access to mental-health counseling. Services include individual, group, veteran, and couples counseling; psychiatry services; eating disorder, ADHD, and alcohol and other drug assessments; and referrals to appropriate mental-health resources in the community. A number of wellness services also are available, including yoga and meditation classes, nutrition consultations, and stress-management counseling. The UHS website also provides wellness tips, stress management advice, and audio relaxation resources.
Due to cold temperatures and spending more time indoors, alcohol use may increase at this time of year. As a parent, you play an important role in influencing your student’s choices when it comes to alcohol. In fact, national studies have shown that parents have a key influence on how often their students engage in risky behavior, including alcohol use.
One resource available for you is AlcoholEdu for Parents. This fall all incoming students were required to complete AlcoholEdu, an online course that educates students about the impact of alcohol and provides them with the information they need to make healthy decisions. Through AlcoholEdu for Parents, you can access the same information and prevention strategies as your student as a way to promote conversations that support safe and healthy decision-making about alcohol. University Health Services also provides conversation tips and guidelines for talking to your student about alcohol.
Students may make an appointment to see a UHS counselor by calling 608-265-5600 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; and on Wednesdays from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Mental-health crisis services are available 24 hours a day at the same number.