The emotional well-being of incoming freshmen this year was at the lowest it has been in decades. Too many students away at college, across the country, are dealing with issues of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues but are not able to receive the help and support they need because the counseling services (CAPS) on campuses aren’t able to keep up with the demand. There are waiting lists for up to three weeks before a student can be seen and only one counselor to every thousand students. The suicide rate at universities and college campuses has continuously increased in recent years at an alarming rate and approximately 25% of freshmen drop out for various reasons. Students need more mental health outreach and care on campuses because they are ill-equipped when they arrive as freshmen to often handle the academic, social and sometimes athletic pressures that can be overwhelming.
What if we can give them the tools they need before they arrive at school? What if we can teach high school students how to navigate these pressures and put into place a plan should these issues start to affect their college experience as a whole. High schoolers need to be taught these skills before they even arrive on campus that first day! During the summer, students should be emotionally prepping for their new independent life. Although to many that sounds exciting and freeing, to others it may be daunting. They may be apprehensive or quite scared but they do not want anyone to know. They know the cost, the excitement from others and what an achievement it may be to get into their choice of college. They may not want to express their fear or concern, especially if all of their friends don’t seem to have the same feelings or they may not know how they feel until they arrive for their first day. The anxiety or sadness may come out of nowhere or college may be different than they had anticipated.
Emotional fitness (Emotional Fitness brochure) enables senior high school girls to learn coping skills, stress management methods, effective time management and ways to care for themselves before these issues can snowball into more severe problems. In just five sessions, students will have the necessary tools that will assist them in adjusting to college life, how to handle troublesome situations and the best ways to manage the distress when feeling overwhelmed by the demands of academia. They will learn how to make friends more easily, handle tough roommate scenarios, how to ask for help if they need it and ways to manage any stress that may seep into their everyday college life. They will also learn how to make a plan should they need mental health services, what resources are available and how to receive the care should they believe it is necessary.
If you believe your high school student or college freshman would benefit from this program, please contact Susan O’Connor at 973-229-5691 or apositiveapproach1234@gmail.com Send your child off to school with confidence!
