Past issues don’t just disappear when students move to campus
By Sandy Cox, MS Director, Counseling Center
Incoming students and their parents often look upon college as a new beginning, and hope that past issues and problems will disappear with the move to campus.
Experience suggests that the opposite is more likely to be true. Luckily, there are a number of steps that students with past or existing personal problems can take to improve their adjustment to college life and increase their chances for success.
Helpful Steps for Improvement
• Any student who has been previously diagnosed with a serious psychological issue (e.g., depression, substance abuse, etc.) should continue to follow their prescribed therapeutic regimens. Students taking medication should make arrangements to maintain the necessary supply when away at school and continue monitoring by a primary health care provider at home.
• It is a good idea for the student to obtain (from established providers) a summary of his or her previous treatments. Such information will be helpful to have on hand for the Counseling Center to better determine therapeutic arrangements.
• While important to all students, avoiding excesses in alcohol and other drug use is especially critical for those students with a prior or existing mental health concern.
• Look into the New Student Support Program. Through this offering the student has the opportunity to meet with a counselor to review his/her specific situation and to determine how best to meet their needs while in college.
To find out more about the Counseling Center, call 217-581-3413 or go to www.eiu.edu/counsctr/.
