4I College Can Be Stressful, Here's How to Solve It

The Granoff Student Health Service Center is Southern’s health center on campus. It is located on Wintergreen Ave near the reslife quad of Chase, Wilkinson and Farnham hall and can also be located across the street from Moore Field House. The SCSU Health center serves the same purpose as going to your local physician. With a qualified staff of physicians and nurses they are there to help students with health or emotional issues and to answer any questions you may have. The help center also provides information about sexual health, allergies, flus, self care and stress management. The health center is opened Monday through Friday, 8am - 4:30pm.

One of the biggest issues the health center sees with college students with is stress, especially with students who are new to college. Most freshmen in college have had a pretty stress free high school experience and college is a huge wake up call for many. The biggest problem college freshmen face is trying to balance their school work and their social life which can lead to having a high stress level. This increase of stress can also be due to leaving home for the first time, making new friends, avoiding the freshman 15 and being introduced to drugs and alcohol.

The health center says that the first step is to know the signs of having a high stress level which can include a change in sleep patterns, change in eating habits, feeling overwhelmed and increased frustration and anger. Once you can recognize the signs you can begin to resolve the stress and reduce it. The health center suggest to doing this by eating a balance diet, talking to friends about your problems, laughing, knowing your limits, avoiding drugs and alcohol and find a balance in your life. If you are unable to reduce your stress levels alone, the health center suggests to make an appointment with them. From there they can provide you with advice to guide you in the right direction.

College can be a fun yet stressful time. The health center is always opened to those who need help balancing school and life or to those who need someone to talk to. Before visiting the health center I thought it’s only purpose was a place to go when you were sick, but now I know its more than that. Its a place to go for not only physical sickness but also emotional issues as well. The health center is a very friendly environment and I’m glad I made the decision to stop by!