There is one thing I must admit before I begin this post. I am a Google maniac! If I can't remember the lyrics to a certain song, I Google it. If I'm looking for a good recipe to try, I Google it. If I want to know more information about a certain topic, you guessed it...I Google it! I simply cannot imagine a world (or day) without it. So tonight, like any other night, I was looking to find more information about the most current issues that affect college students today. I typed in "college student issues" in the Google search bar and stumbled upon a website called "Campus Blues" which is dedicated to helping college students deal with tough issues such as depression, mental health, drinking, homesickness, and much much more. The site caught my attention because it offers 24/7 support to college students worldwide. According to its founders, "CampusBlues.com was created to help facilitate student awareness and use of on-campus resources such as Counseling Centers, Health Services and various school sponsored academic and personal support groups".
This site is bursting with information! It addresses topics that never even crossed my mind such as overcoming public speaking anxieties, dealing with sexual orientation, and providing advice to commuter students. Each article provides helpful statistics and advice for students who may not feel comfortable in seeking help outside the confines of their own home. The site also has an open forum where students are encouraged to post about anything and everything that may be bothering them. You can also respond to posts which encourages other students to share their struggles with similar issues. While skimming through these posts, I ran across one in particular that caught my eye. One student explained his on going struggle with homesickness. As a native of the Philippines he was having a hard time adjusting to college life in America. Although elated to be here, he could not help but miss the comfort of home and his family life. Several students responded, reassuring him that what he is feeling is normal. One girl even offered her screen name to him, telling him if he ever needed to chat to IM her! This completely blew me away. It never dawned on me just how willing students are to help one another. While these students may not be medical professionals or licensed psychologists, their peer support is just as valuable.
I look forward to investigating this site in future posts. It is an extremely helpful resource and I encourage everyone to take a look at it!
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1 comment:
Jamie
I'm a Google maniac, too. I never knew there was a medical term for it. I'm really interested in how once you started researching this topic, it seemed to even surprise you about the depth of issues students deal with. I was talking to another professor and she told me about some papers her students had written that brought tears to her eyes. Their assignment was to write about their childhood, relationships, etc. and how these had influenced them. Believe it or not, this was not a SMAD class, or even a writing class.
Thanks for writing about this and enlightening us.
TM
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