Starting a new chapter in your life can be both scary and exciting. You are away from your once familiar surroundings and thrown into an unfamiliar environment to fend for yourself. No one can truly prepare you for this experience. People can lend you their advice, but it is not something you will understand until you go through it yourself.

Homesickness, depressive episodes, induced symptoms of mental illness, and self-isolation are all common symptoms during this introductory period of college. It takes some people years to emerge from this phase of the process. Even though it feels like you might be completely alone, the circumstances are quite the opposite. You are on a campus surrounded by so many people, professors, and staff. Using these circumstances to your advantage is about your mentality and how you view the situation.

Every staff member and professor is placed on this campus to help the students. They are a resource tool and are more than willing to help you in any way they can. If they cannot aid you, they will place you in the hands of someone who can. You can make appointments with your professors to help you with whatever you need, whether with schoolwork, advice, or even someone to listen to you. Our professors at Fairmont are here for you. I find this knowledge immensely helpful, especially for individuals who connect with a professor and are not comfortable going to therapy. I know that I connect with my professors and see them as mentors willing to help me in any way they can. I can confidently say that whenever I need something, my professors answer me within the same hour and day.

If you are comfortable seeking therapy, we have therapists on staff at Fairmont. To make an appointment, go to the Fairmont State University web page and find the quick links tab. You will then select the “myFairmontState” option. This will then take you to Felix. If you go to the “Student Links” section, you will find a link that says “Student Health.” Click on this, and it will take you to the wellness portal. You will see a few options to click on near the top of the page. Choose the option that says, “Appt. Scheduling.” All you must do is make an appointment now. You may pick a time that works best for your schedule. The mental wellness office is on the third floor of the falcon center beside the bookstore and student health center. This self-help method is very efficient because the students do not need to travel far or waste gas money.

If you are an individual who does not like to speak openly about their struggles, that is completely fine. We are all different, and that is what makes us uniquely individual. Other methods of self-help do not involve verbalizing. These methods include journaling, exercising, meditation, self-reflection, expressive art, story writing, listening to music, or taking up a new hobby. These are just examples of a handful of methods that could potentially be useful. I hope the students struggling to cope know they are not alone.

This article was composed with the intention of striking hope into the hearts of the students who feel alone in their struggles. It is quite easy to retract into a shell and resist reaching out or helping yourself. It is up to you (the students) to improve yourself and your mental state.