They will be posting thought-provoking discussions, engaging in forum Addressing campus substance misuse together conversations and hosting webinars to really help you understand your study materials. As you progress, you will have a team of support staff giving you any guidance or help you might need. They’ll guide you through your induction and enrolment which tells you everything you need to know about studying online, or through blended learning. Let us help you make the most of your university experience and prepare you for a bright and fulfilling future.

After hours mental wellbeing support line

Many colleges are beginning to proactively share mental health information with students during face-to-face orientation sessions. Colleges provide orientation sessions on drug and alcohol use, sexual violence prevention, and other student health and lifestyle topics, so why not address mental health more directly? From medical and mental health care to chiropractic and massage appointments, visit us for a range of services to support your well-being. We’re your on-campus resource for health and wellness support. Finally, faculty can foster a supportive learning environment by designing course assignments that are realistic and manageable to reduce unnecessary stress on students.

Additional mental health resources for UWaterloo students

Early scholars in student support have argued that university access without student wellness support services is tantamount to no opportunity for many students 28, 62, 63. One participant indicated that support at residences should be reinforced, as this was experienced as providing an opportunity to access social support, develop healthy friendships and therefore assist students to develop leadership and life skills. The students suggested that universities offering health sciences programmes should ensure that there are dedicated wellness units that are well-staffed to provide services to students without the impact of personnel pressures.

Take a look at these quotes and testimonials from our students and find out what they had to say about their tutors. Our student support team are available as soon as you start your learning journey. After all, a solid support system is the key to success, providing you with all the help and guidance you’ll need throughout your university journey. We aim to ensure that every student feels prepared and confident as they begin their academic journey.

• Fenton et al. reviewed evidence on the impacts of recreation programmes such as mindfulness, meditation, Tai Chi, yoga, exercise, and animal therapy on mental health outcomes in post-secondary students in North America (rated as moderate methodological quality).
• This past fall, student actors read the narratives of alumni describing their mental health challenges and how they sought help.
• At Northwestern University, student feedback led orientation organizers to shift their focus from expert speakers to student testimonials.
• Pre-orientation materials, orientation events, and workshops held at the institutional, department, or program level are channels through which colleges and universities can transmit information about wellbeing services.
• Advocates will connect you to services and resources, and empower you to understand your options to take the next steps.

Other virtual spaces, notably for students who have not developed connections on campus, can provide other channels to develop relationships and find support based on their interests. Although many community colleges were more likely to provide a form of online education prior to COVID-19, there has been little done to understand how they use virtual tools to educate and support students. While colleges and universities may seek virtual health and wellbeing tools (separate from telehealth and distance therapy services), the evidence base regarding their effectiveness remains limited. These include mental health applications and virtual health and wellbeing tools (Kern et al., 2018), not to be confused with telehealth, which are one-on-one services offered directly by a mental health provider through virtual means.

As colleges and universities think about ways to ensure safety and wellbeing, the prevention of sexual harassment and the creation of an accountable, transparent system for addressing harassment cases can aid in those efforts. The presence of sexual harassment can cause trauma, create an environment that does not support wellbeing, and make individuals feel unwelcomed and more likely to leave that environment. The report notes that while people of all genders experience sexual harassment, the predominant harassers are male, with 86 percent of female graduate students who experience sexual harassment from faculty or staff reporting that the harasser was male. There are also time periods that correlate with higher rates of PTE exposure, with up to 50 percent of college students reporting a PTE in their first year (Davidson, 2017).