When your child leaves for college, it’s just as much an adjustment for you as it is for them. You’re not able to see them, or even check in with them, daily. So how can you be sure they’re taking care of themselves as well as getting the help they need when they need it?
Encourage Your Child to Use College Resources
The answer lies on their college campus. Colleges and universities across the country take their student body’s health and well-being very seriously, and in recent years, many institutions have invested heavily in these resources.
As your child prepares to leave for college, encourage them to take advantage of the following student support services. It will give you both peace of mind.
Student Support Services on College Campuses
Every college campus is different, which means that student support services will not be the same everywhere. However, most colleges and universities offer an office or center that specializes in these areas:
Counseling Services
Mental health on college campuses has been an issue that colleges have increasingly directed resources to in the past few years. According to
The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, 73% of students suffer some sort of mental health crisis during their time in college.
In addition to providing one-on-one counseling sessions, campuses also have group therapy and 24/7 hotlines that students can call in a time of need. Some schools offer students the opportunity to submit care referrals on behalf of their friends, if/when they see someone in their circle battling
mental health on their college campus.
If your child is struggling with an issue, counseling services is typically the best place to start resolving the issue. In addition to helping with mental health, they can assist students with charting a path to better overall
well-being and recovery.
Health Services
Everyone gets sick, especially college students. Living in
shared housing and dining in food halls will mean that they encounter their fair share of germs.
College campuses make it easy to see a doctor or nurse practitioner to get a quick, accurate diagnosis and the right medication. With
health services directly on campus, students don’t need to worry about finding a physician in their college town.
Health centers also host vaccination clinics as well as health and well-being programs. They function just like your child’s physician at home.
Career Services & Networking Events
Colleges don’t just focus on the present, they help students prepare for their future as well. This preparation comes in the form of career counseling and networking events at the
Career Center.
During their college career, your child can get help drafting their resume, participate in mock interviews, and tap into the college’s network of alumni to job shadow or discuss
internship and job opportunities. The school also hosts networking events that enable students to meet alum in certain fields or roles that they may be interested in pursuing.
College students tend to live in the moment, thinking that graduation and the real world are so far in the distance that they don’t need to give it any thought now. But you know how fast time flies, so encourage your child to take advantage of this resource while it’s at their disposal.
Academic Support
Transitioning to college can be an emotionally, mentally, and physically challenging time. More often than not, the stresses of change can impact academic achievement.
Fortunately, students can tap into academic support services on their college campus. This may look like peer-to-peer
tutoring, working with a Teaching Assistant (TA) after hours, or getting help choosing and dropping classes.
Remind your child that falling behind in classes happens all of the time to students, but there is a chance they could lose scholarship or financial aid dollars if they do not keep
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). It’s vital that they reach out to the appropriate office to get help if their grades start slipping.
Disability Services
Many assume that disability services on a college campus are just for those with a physical disability, but that is far from the reality. Disability services serve
students with physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, learning disabilities, or students that suffer an injury while enrolled.
If your child breaks a leg, they will rely on disability services to help them navigate their temporary normal, from living in the dorms to getting to their classes.
Disability services will also arrange extended times on exams for those that need it, service animal requests, and accessible van service around campus.
Your child’s
college experience can be customized to their physical, mental, and emotional needs. If they need help in any of these areas during their college career, work together to make a plan with disability services on their college campus.
Veterans Services
Many
veterans opt to continue their education after active-duty service. For that reason, they have their own suite of services to meet their needs.
Veterans services helps students navigate their
military education benefits paperwork. They can also help them process military withdrawals and leaves of absence should the need arise.
Finally, veterans services will provide programming, tutoring, and transitional resources to students, helping them adjust to
campus life and give them a safe space to voice their needs, concerns, and questions.
Other Student Services
Every college campus is unique, and it typically builds its student support services based on the makeup of the
student body. A larger university in a metropolitan area will have very different offerings from a small college in a rural setting.
Nevertheless, below are some of the other student support services that may be available at colleges and universities:
International Students
As you can imagine,
international students undergo quite a transition when they move from their home to an American college campus. With that, there are offices and resources to help them better acclimate.
Food Banks
According to
The Hechinger Report, anywhere from 11 – 45% of college students face food insecurity. In response, many colleges and universities have set up food banks to help fulfill that need.
Legal Services
Many colleges and universities provide
legal services to students, which can cover a wide variety of issues and circumstances. Students can seek help with filling out forms or to receive legal advice. These services might even host workshops to help guide students through certain legal scenarios.
Whether your child is a prospective or current college student, be sure that they are aware of the student support services available to them. In most cases, these services are covered by their student fees, so they should use them!
As you tour colleges and visit college websites, be sure to look into the student support services available. Take peace of mind knowing that even though you may not be able to help your child through every issue they encounter while they’re away at school, there are trained professionals on their college campus who can and will.
