{"id":56017,"date":"2020-08-25T15:00:14","date_gmt":"2020-08-25T20:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=56017"},"modified":"2020-08-25T14:29:34","modified_gmt":"2020-08-25T19:29:34","slug":"how-to-have-a-strong-first-semester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=56017","title":{"rendered":"How to have a strong first semester"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BY CORIE LYNN

Image is a stock image from prior to social distancing and mask protocols <\/em>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fall semester of college is a semester of excitement as university activities resume, students reconnect with friends and move one step closer to graduation.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For campus freshmen, the excitement can double as stress as they transition onto campus. Because of the transition, new students can find themselves facing emotional and mental challenges they have not previously experienced.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost of the time,\u201d said Sadie Spurlock, mental health counselor and case manager at FHSU\u2019s Kelly Center, \u201cfreshmen students are moving out of their parents\u2019 houses for the first time, creating and abiding by their own schedules, forming new relationships, and taking greater responsibility for their health and activities.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This fall, students will find themselves under extra pressure as communities across the United States, including that of Hays, adjust to a new normal due to COVID-19.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spurlock explains that typical college activities, from planned events to studying with peers, have changed to account for safety.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis year, it\u2019s a bit more quiet,\u201d she said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it\u2019s bad, it is just a reflection of the season that we are all finding ourselves in. In addition, many students may be more urgently concerned about their health and the health of their family members than what they normally would, which could be an added stressor.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As stress mounts, from schoolwork and navigating a socially distanced college experience, the question of mental and emotional health arises. How do students, especially freshmen, take care of themselves and combat the challenges in a healthy way?
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Spurlock, the answer is involvement in campus life, through virtual or in-person events, and connection to peers. Talking about anxieties surrounding courses and health will help students realize other people have the same concerns.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would also recommend that students do mental health \u2018check-ins\u2019 on themselves and their friends. What is going well? What is out of balance? Is there an area that I could use some help in?\u201d she said.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the importance of connection, Spurlock notes that isolation is a sign that a student might need help from friends, family or mental health resources. Students should also be aware of hopelessness, lack of motivation or interest and preoccupation with fear in themselves or their friends.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe best way to address these warning signs is to simply ask about them. Let their friends know they\u2019ve noticed these things and that they are concerned,\u201d she said.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freshmen who find themselves needing a little extra support are encouraged to visit the Kelly Center, where they can find resources ranging from personal counseling to tutoring and testing services to academic accommodations.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe majority of our services are free to students,\u201d said Gina Smith, director of the Kelly Center. \u201cWe also have helpful handouts and videos on our website to address various mental health needs. We will also be offering various group Zoom sessions on mental health topics in the coming weeks.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One key to a strong freshmen year is to pay attention to and take care of mental and emotional needs. While doing so keeps students healthy, Smith also notes that tending to these needs makes the college experience more enjoyable.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is additional stress on everyone right now with Covid,\u201d she said. \u201cTherefore, it\u2019s more important than ever to reach out to others and engage in self-care activities to cope with stressors and find ways to enjoy daily life.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Spurlock, Smith also emphasizes the importance of connection. For students struggling with social distancing and relationships during the pandemic, remaining in touch with those around them helps combat these challenges.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, Smith reminds freshmen that FHSU is host to plenty of faculty and staff willing to support them and help them adjust to their new campus lives.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would encourage students to take part in campus activities, consider checking out the Kelly Center website to see if they are interested in any of our services,\u201d she said, \u201cand to reach out to their family members, coaches, advisors or other significant individuals in their lives to help them adjust to college and address any problematic areas in their life.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Spurlock, that form of connection is a part of self-care, which she explains comes in many forms — though is more than bubble baths or drinks from Starbucks.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt could be exercising, eating healthy, creating a helpful sleep environment or limiting time on social media,\u201d she said. \u201cI would encourage students to take an inventory of how they spend their time and consider if it is helpful. What brings joy and what causes stress? It\u2019s all about balance.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spurlock\u2019s final advice for freshmen as they begin their first semester is to take the uncertainty and strangeness of university in stride.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLean into the fact that it doesn\u2019t look like what you had hoped for,\u201d she said, \u201cand to acknowledge that the feelings that come with that are real. It\u2019s OK to be disappointed, and it\u2019s normal to be stressed in this situation. But it\u2019s also helpful to continue to hope for the future.\u201d
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BY CORIE LYNN Image is a stock image from prior to social distancing and mask protocols  The fall semester of college is a semester of… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":56018,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[12323,12390],"tags":[11974,69,106,3893,2167,13888,103,290],"class_list":["post-56017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-life","category-editorial","tag-corie-lynn","tag-fhsu","tag-fort-hays-state-university","tag-gina-smith","tag-kelly-center","tag-sadie-spurlock","tag-tiger-media-network","tag-tmn"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/0N5A8812.jpg?fit=6720%2C4480&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=56017"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56017\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56019,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56017\/revisions\/56019"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/56018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=56017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=56017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=56017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}