Common Student Concerns
College students seek counseling services for many reasons. Common concerns include:
- Adjustment issues
- Difficulty coping with emotions (e.g. depression, anxiety, anger)
- Interpersonal and relationship difficulties
- Health-related concerns (pregnancy, alcohol, STD’s, struggles with eating or sleeping)
- Concerns about academic issues (e.g. poor motivation, concentration problems, test anxiety)
- Stressful/traumatic experiences (e.g. financial/legal problems, assault, harassment, death).
The counseling center staff frequently hears from students struggling with depressed mood, stress, anxiety, and academic performance issues. Surprisingly, over 90% of students we assist mention that their personal problems significantly affect their studies, even when academics aren’t their primary concern.
Our counseling services not only equip students with new coping skills, goal-setting techniques, problem-solving strategies, decision-making tools, and stress management methods, but also offer a secure and organized space for students to explore various aspects of their emerging adult lives. This includes independence, values, personal goals, sexuality, intimacy, and friendship.
Additionally, our counseling center staff collaborates with other campus departments, such as Disability Services, Career Services, Residence Life, and the Health Center, as needed.
How does a student determine whether they need counseling?
If you’re unsure about whether your concerns are suitable for the counseling center, feel free to schedule an appointment with one of our staff members. We welcome all students seeking services and there are no set criteria for reaching out.
Our team has extensive experience in supporting students dealing with depression, anxiety, and various mental health conditions. While we are dedicated to addressing these specific challenges, we also assist many students with a wide range of other concerns. We want to emphasize that no problem is too insignificant to bring to our attention. If something is affecting a student, no matter how small it may seem, it’s important enough to engage in a conversation with one of our counselors.
At our center, we support students who may be feeling lonely or homesick, dealing with stress, facing family concerns, or looking for guidance on time management. We also assist students in adjusting to college life, addressing relationship issues, exploring sexuality, building self-esteem and self-efficacy, managing eating and body image concerns, coping with sexual assault, trauma, grief, and navigating neurodiversity, among other challenges. Additionally, we provide a safe space for students who simply need to express their emotions and “vent”.