Issue date: 8/20/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Chad Stoermer [Click to enlarge]

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.

Continued...

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