Leaving home for the first time is an undisputed adventure, but for some college freshman, thatadventurecan start to get overwhelming. Theres a 15-page English paper, a biology test and two quizzesall hitting on the same day.
Add in the all-nighters and adjusting to classes all over the campus, all the while trying to meet new people and fit in. Well, college can then start to seem pretty daunting, both academically and socially.
But Dr. Peter Kahn, a staff psychologist and outreach coordinator at West Virginia Universitys Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services, has some advice thats both clinical and common sense for freshmen and other students who might be feeling that theyre emotionally in over their heads.
First: Dont beat yourself up.
Those feeling are perfectly natural,Kahn said.This (going off to school) is the biggest transition youve likely had to make.
The Carruth Center, he said, can ease that transition. The center is easy to find. Its on the third floor of the Student Services Center behind the Mountainlair Bookstore. Its mission, Kahn said, is providing psychological services which help foster the academic and personal development of students.
That means a full range of services for individuals and couples, including career counseling, anger and stress management groups and personality assessments.
Kahn noted that the college transition is inevitable, and encourages homesick freshmen to wait to make that first trip home, even if theyre dying to go.
Theres no way around the transition, and what we dont encourage is making that trip home too soon,Kahn said.You have to give yourself a chance, and if you go home too soon, you might waver. You might say, �€~Aw, gee, Ive been there two weeks, or a semester, and maybe I just dont like it. Maybe its not for me
Stay a while and give college life a chance, he advised. It takes a lot of adjusting, but it can work.
Dont be too rough on yourself,Kahn added.The first thing you need to remember is that people are different. Some people adjust to new situations quicker than others. Dont get caught up in comparing yourself to the people on your floor, or your classmates. Its all about the transition.
Free, confidential depression screenings available next week
WVU psychologists say many students feel overwhelmed by the demands of college life, especially as midsemester approaches. Unhappiness, lack of interest in daily activities, feelings of helplessness and difficulties sleeping and concentrating can make the present an ordeal and the future look hopeless.
Too often these are signs of a serious depression, Kahn said. If students have been feeling this way, it is important to know that help is available.
Students can get free, confidential depression screenings from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, at the Carruth Center.
The screening process generally takes between 20 and 30 minutes. Students fill out a mood questionnaire, talk with a counselor about their personal situation and get feedback about ways to get their lives back on track. Information about depression and other mental health concerns will be available.
Group counseling gives students mutual support
Another option for students who are seeking support from their peers is group counseling. The groups, led by two Carruth Center staff members, provide a safe place to find acceptance and understanding, and to share mutual support, encouragement and help, said WVU psychologist Sue Hodgson, who leads the Stress Busters Management Team.
Group counseling brings together anywhere from five to eight students who share similar concerns or problems, she added.
Six groups are offered this fall: Becoming At Ease Around People, Depression and Bipolar Support , Overcoming Depression, Mens Therapy, Stress Busters and General Therapy. Group counseling is free to all current, fee-paying WVU students.
A list of meeting times is posted online athttp://www.wvu.edu/~cocenter/groups.shtml.
After-hours emergency hotline available
For more information or consultation, call the Carruth Center at 304-293-4431. The center is open from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students are free to speak with a counselor on a walk-in or appointment basis. The same phone number can be used in emergencies after hours.
Carruth Center on the Net:http://www.wvu.edu/~cocenter/index.shtml