Throughout your time at Waterloo, stress may seem like a prerequisite for engineering courses. Undoubtedly, we are under a lot of pressure. Conflicting messages and social pressures don‘t help to determine priorities either. Profs and academic advisors tell us that school is the most important. CECS and employers tells us co-op is the most important. Responsibilities and social pressures from friends and family also demand your time and attention. While finding balance in university can be difficult, it’s not impossible, and there are a lot of resources on campus to help you.
Counselling Services has trained professionals offering personal, confidential counselling on an individual or group basis. Appointments are made by dropping into their main office in Needles Hall, room 2080, or by calling 888-4567, ext. 32655. A short interview and an intake form is required to better assess your needs before booking an appointment.
Counselling Services also hosts a number of workshops. Topics include stress and anxiety management, exam preparation, and eating disorders. More information can be found at the Counselling Services website, http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infocs/.
Health Services is the place to go to keep your mind and body healthy. Not only do Health Services provide urgent/walk-in care, physician appointments, and nutrition counselling, they also provide counsellor appointments and individual counselling. Appointments can be made by calling 519-888-4096 and are available on walk-in basis. Learn more at http://www.healthservices.uwaterloo.ca/
The Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD) promotes the well-being of members of our UW community with disabilities through a variety of support services. An advisor helps develop appropriate academic accommodations. The OPD can help students make arrangements to obtain necessary documentation. If you suspect you have a disability, make an appointment to meet for screening and referral to a qualified professional. Call extension x35082 or visit http://www.studentservices.uwaterloo.ca/disabilities/ for more information.
There are a number of emergency services if you ever find yourself or a friend in crisis. UW Police are available 24 hours a day at 519-888-4911, as are the Mobile Crisis Team, 519-744-1813. The Crisis Clinic at Grand River Hospital can be reached at 519-742-3611. Distress lines provide confidential, supportive listening at K-W Distress Line, 519-745-1166, and Telecare Distress Line, 519-658-6805.
I hope you’ve learned a bit more about the success services and resources available at UW. Remember: you can retake a quiz, a course, or even an entire program, but you can’t easily have a do-over on your health. University can be the best, most exciting years of your life; let’s make sure they’re healthy too.
The Engineering Society is dedicated to promoting on-campus resources and act as an advocate within the Faculty for engineering students. The Mental Health Awareness director, Callie Holt, has organised an exciting event that will be sure to get you hot under the collar. Several therapy dogs will be coming to campus on April 4th. The event aims to relieve stress around exam time and give students a useful distraction. If you’re finding exams kind of ruff, this event will be sure to give you a new leash on life.
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