All right, frosh, here’s some tough love: engineering is stressful. Of course you’ll laugh, meet new people, and make memories to last a lifetime, but along the way, you might also panic about your first exam, struggle with anxiety about coursework or co-op jobs or relationships (or all of the above), and you might even shed a few tears… but as long as you know how to deal with it, everything will be okay.
As your Mental Health Awareness directors, we’re here to make sure you have the resources you need to succeed. Throughout the term, we’ll be hosting a ton of events to make sure that you know how to recognize your stresses, and know how to deal with it in a constructive manner. In previous terms, we’ve hosted events such as Post-Secret Week (a way to get something off your chest in a confidential way), outreach with Stand up for Stigma (a way to reduce the stigma associated with Mental Health Illnesses), and our ever successful Puppies campaign (we invite Therapy Dogs to POETS that you can play with during extremely stressful times like midterm week). You can also look for our biweekly “Engineering Wellness” articles in The Iron Warrior. This upcoming fall term, we’re also partnering with Counselling Services and the Student Success Office to bring you study skills and stress management workshops.
We are also a huge advocate of Counselling Services at the University of Waterloo. Counselling Services is located all across campus, but the two main locations accessible for first year engineering students is at the First Year Office in CPH, room 1320, and in Needles Hall, Room 2080. Counselling Services is a fantastic resource to help you deal with any personal or academic issues. They can help you in areas such as stress management, anxiety, sexuality and relationship issues, depression, and more. Best of all, their service is completely free to all registered students. You may contact Counselling Services by going to one of their offices, or by phone at (519) 888-4567 ext 32655.
The key thing to remember is that mental health isn’t just a luxury; it’s a priority. It can have as much impact on your life and your university career as your physical well-being. If you ever find yourself struggling with Mental Health issues, please reach out. Many of us have gone through the same thing, and we’re here to help.
Have a wonderful Orientation Week, and good luck with the rest of term!
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