Friends help students stay balanced

By: Nicole Alvarado

Posted: 8/20/08

Not only are college-aged students more likely to experience depression than other age groups, but a study by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles reported an increase in the number of freshmen experiencing depression. In one year, the percentage doubled from 8.2 percent to 16.3 percent. In the 2005 National College Health Assessment, students ranked depression as one of the top-10 impediments to academic performance.

These figures are not meant to be daunting, but to stress the importance of having friends and surrounding oneself with people whose company one enjoys. Sarah Koehler, a junior nutrition major, said she agreed with this notion.

"Friends are so important! They really help to create a balance in life, especially the stressful life of a college student," she said.

The Student Counseling Service is a significant resource for freshmen in need of any sort of help. There are no extra charges for counseling or testing because they are all covered by initial student service fees.

Betty Milburn, associate director of counseling at the SCS, acknowledged the difficulty of transitioning for students entering as freshmen.

"It is a growing and changing process that is very natural and not without its stress," she said. "Often, students are confronted with different beliefs, values and lifestyles than they have encountered before. That alone can be very stressful."

Many students will be faced with the difficult decision of clinging to high school friends or branching out and making new ones. Oliver Kleinenberg, a senior ocean engineering major, recalled how he handled this situation.

"Once you get to college, you start losing contact with the majority of people from high school," he said. "You really learn who your friends are. The great thing about A&M is that if you have a positive attitude toward people, they will usually be very friendly."

The SCS offers both individual and group counseling that can be helpful to students dealing with transition issues and acclimating to college, Milburn said. Among the many workshops available, there is also an assessment that identifies the strengths and weaknesses in an individual's study skills and works in conjunction with an interpretation session once a week.

"There are an awful lot of adjustments that have to be made," Milburn said. "Even if we're adjusting to a situation we're happy about, change is always stressful. It is extremely important to develop friendships because they serve as a support base, which helps make the transition easier."

She urged students to seek help at the first sign of difficulty.

"College is different, but freshmen don't understand how different, so they use techniques that worked in high school, but aren't going to work here," Milburn said. "One of the biggest mistakes students make is not seeking help soon enough."

While it may be easy for some students to sit down at a table full of strangers in Sbisa Dining Hall and fall seamlessly into conversation, not everyone is as bold. Dalton Swan, a third-year student at Blinn College, is a good example of how more reserved students can reap the same benefits of friendship as their more extroverted counterparts.

"Being rather shy myself, I understand how hard it is to overcome [this obstacle,]" Swan said. "I try to bring my friends into situations that will make me feel more comfortable, such as riding around in my truck and listening to music. This helps me talk more freely with them."

No matter the situation or the person, it is widely agreed that the best way to make new friends is to join an organization.

"This is a large university. It's easy to get lost in it," Milburn said. "Developing friendships and finding a niche can happen in class or in dorms, but it's really important to get involved in a student activity of some sort."

She said the MSC Open House is a good way to find out about the 800-plus student organizations on campus. This fall, it will occur on Sunday, Aug. 31 from 1-6 p.m.

Whether you meet new friends or retain old ones, whether they come from Fish Camp, the classroom, the Rec or the dining hall-one thing all students have in common is that they are a part of something bigger here at Texas A&M.