Coping with college life: JHU counseling options

Katie's white board reads: "German final 9 a.m., 20 page paper due 12 p.m., IAP final 3 p.m., 15 page paper due 6 p.m. (drop off Gilman, 2nd floor)." What the board doesn't have to say is "Arrrgh, the STRESS!"

Everyone experiences some form of stress during college, whether it involves petty fights between roommates, finals anxiety or the art of picking a daily wardrobe. The most important thing for a student to remember is that the world is not after you. Nobody wants to see you completely stressed out or failing (unless you are a premed or BME -- then hoards of fellow students are waiting for your academic demise); there is help.

The Counseling Center, located on the third floor of Garland Hall, is available to assist you. The Counseling Center offers psychological and career counseling for undergraduate and graduate students. The center is staffed with a psychologist, a consulting psychiatrist, social workers and a substance abuse counselor. Regardless of the staff's professional training, their job is to listen to you.

The Counseling Center not only has 50-minute counseling sessions once a week for individuals, but also offers group counseling sessions for undergraduate and graduate students who are in search of a supportive environment to discuss any problems.

If you are not interested in sharing with or venting to older professionals, you could visit A Place to Talk (APTT) instead. APTT offers student-to-student peer counseling in a relaxing and comforting environment. The students working at APTT are trained to listen to whatever you have on your mind without giving advice.

"Some students feel like it's a more comfortable situation," said Divya Prasad, a senior and APTT counselor.

Prasad notes that the APTT room is located in close proximity to freshmen -- in the common area of ARM -- because the service can be particularly useful to new students. "Freshmen are the ones who have adjustment issues," she said. "It's a good way of making freshmen aware that the service exists."

And of course, like at the Counseling Center, everything at APTT stays completely confidential.

The next time that you are feeling stressed out or hopeless (and of course we hope that is not a frequent occurrence), consider the option of discussing your issues with someone, whether it be with trained professionals at the Counseling Center, understanding students at APTT or even just your friends.

For information about the Counseling Center contact (410) 516-8278 from 8:30 a.m to 5 p.m., or Homewood Campus Security at (410) 516-7777 or Peabody Security at (410) 659-8100 x1000 for after-hour emergencies.