Keep In Mind: Helping Students Consider Mental Health When Choosing a College
It’s well-known that college is a high-stress, high-pressure time. A student's chosen college is the critical backdrop for those times. It’s important for students to choose a setting that will offer the best environment for them for the duration of their college education. For some people, a city landscape surrounded by people, lights, and sounds is what they need to combat apprehension; others seek solace in nature, finding a bike ride through trails or a yoga session with a view to diminish anxiety. The environments we choose to be in are just as important in caring for our mental health as self-care.
Beyond the setting, it's important for students to keep their personal coping strategies in mind when choosing a college. We all manage our internal struggles in different ways. Some people need social connection through clubs, activities, and groups while others prefer to speak with a mental professional one-on-one to help navigate their stress. It’s a good idea for students to consider what their prospective colleges offer in helping to find a balance and care for their mental health needs.
Signs Of A Supportive Community
Not all colleges offer the same level of mental health support; that’s important for prospective students to understand and look into before they apply. Here are a few indicators of a supportive college or university:
Plans various orientation/icebreaker activities and opportunities for new students to become acclimated and integrated into their new community.
Maintains health and wellness programs such as nutrition counseling and exercise classes.
Organizes events, student outings, and inclusive activities for the student body throughout the school year so that students are more likely to participate and stay active in their school community.
Offers mental health resources such as:
on-campus counseling/ behavioral therapy or a students health services department
peer-counseling programs such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or Active Minds
resources and/or training for mental health coping strategies and stress-management techniques
For example, Active Minds offers information on understanding our stress & anxiety in which coping strategies like how to get adequate sleep and connecting with others can make a difference in managing and relieving stress, and even advice for students on how to respond to friends or classmates who show signs of stress.
24/7 emergency care (if needed)
JED Campus—a national program created to helps students and schools collaborate to build supportive networks in aid of student mental health, substance and alcohol use/abuse, and suicide prevention
Other Factors To Consider
Size. The size of the school can make a big impact on how comfortable the environment is for the student. Do they like the idea of being one of many with more opportunities to connect with people, or do they prefer the intimacy of a smaller campus and smaller class sizes with more chances to connect on a deeper level with fewer people? They need to really consider how the size of the college and classes will affect their mental health.
Social/Campus Life. How students typically spend their time on and off campus may influence how a prospective student feels about attending. Are they looking to be active in clubs and sports? Do most of the students commute or live in on-campus housing? How many roommates can they expect to have in one dorm room? Can they request a single or suite-style room? They need to consider the school’s social and campus lifestyles when selecting the right college for them.
Distance from family and outside friends. If being close to home is important to their mental health, then looking at nearby colleges probably makes the most sense. Perhaps finding a school that has easy access to a train, airport, or public transport matters. On the flip side, some students may feel that putting some distance between them and home is what’s best for their stress, and would much rather return home for holidays and breaks. When deciding on the geographic location for college, they need to also think about the roles the people close to them play in their lives, and how important it is to have access to them.
Cost of tuition, room, and board. College education is costly, and when students are not able to focus on their studies or their experiences because of the looming pressure of student debt, that can certainly cause a lot of added stress. If student debt is a concern, the cost of attending should be seriously considered before applying. Furthermore, factors like financial aid and work-study programs should also be explored thoroughly, so that students understand the options available to them to help combat college expenses. It is important to note, however, that students should think about the added pressure of taking on a work-study position on top of their loaded course schedule; they need to make sure that they can handle balancing their classes with working—it can be a lot to juggle, and some schools will pull their funding if a work-study program is dropped.
The Positive Effects of College Campuses That Prioritize Mental Health
When students are comfortable with their college setting and are able to build and rely on a support network to help them through stressful times, they not only do well—they thrive. Students learning in empathetic and nurturing college communities reap benefits such as:
Improved academic performance. Mental health issues can easily cause lack of motivation and focus, which can contribute to lower grades.
Increased student retention. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)’s survey report on mental health revealed that 64% of college students reported dropping out of school because of a mental health-related issue. This shows us that when students are under stress and do not have a support system in place, they’re more likely to leave college than stay. Further research found that of the 64% reported, 50% of those students chose not to disclose their mental health condition to their colleges. Even with the stigma of mental health diminishing, it’s understandable for students to feel uncomfortable sharing their every internal conflict; which is why it is important for students to find a college that offers a supportive community and an active lifestyle so that self-care is a part of their daily lives.
Resources To Share With Your College-Searching Students
The Mental Health College Guide, provided by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and The Jed Foundation
Starting the Conversation: College and Your Mental Health, provided by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and The Jed Foundation
Self-Care and Mental Health, provided by Active Minds
As a tutor, you know your students well. You’ve helped them navigate a lot of setbacks and successes. To help them embark on their college search, you need to be prepared for the fact that, for some students, mental health benefits and services can make all the difference in how they create and revise their list of prospective schools. We hope that you’ll find these tips and resources useful in helping your students find the best college for them.
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