How to Be Your Own Best Friend!

It is the beginning of a new semester and a new Year. Many of us may have made New Year’s resolutions or promises to ourselves about trying things differently this year.

Semester Blues

Many of you have started settling into the routine of classes.It is the time of the semester that first tests or papers are due.This is in addition to everything else that consumes your time such as clubs, organizations, work, relationships and family.It is a stressful time for many valid reasons.

So, how are you doing with this stressful time?It is common for many of us to feel “blue, sad or overwhelmed” for a short period of time, but I am concerned that you may be feeling more than just feeling blue, sad or overwhelmed!

Some of the Best Years of Your Life

Have you heard the statement, “College…the best years of your life?” I agree. College can be fun and exciting. It is a time for learning, meeting new people, being introduced to new ideas and philosophies, participating in clubs and organizations, and pursuing your personal dreams or goals. Clearly, a lot more than academic learning takes place at college. It’s also a time of social and personal growth.

College Days!!

It is time to begin a new year at UIS! For many of you it is returning to something that is very familiar and for some it is a new experience. The result of this time is highly dependent on your perspective. It is a period of intense didactic learning, social and personal development.

There will be numerous opportunities for you to be involved in intense didactic learning. There will be textbooks to read, studying for tests, research on specific topics and papers to write. These are some ways of expanding your mind while at UIS.

Diversity = Variety

Diversity equals variety and it doesn’t take much looking around to see that America is a diverse land of many people with different ethnicities,religions, beliefs, and languages. You can see this on a college campus, at the mall, on TV, or just by visiting various neighborhoods. This diversity has been a key ingredient of American culture since its very beginning as a nation, and even before with the hundreds of Native American groups who lived across the land.

Great American Smokeout

Every day there are 2001 smoking related deaths in the United States. That is like losing almost our entire undergraduate population at UIS every day. We’ve all heard about the horrible risks of smoking, the long-term effects of what it can do (cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, emphysema). So why are there still 45 million smokers in America? Because quitting is really, really hard.

Choose to Live a Sober Life

Do you believe that women are at-risk for alcohol’s effects? Well believe it! The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that women achieve higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood and become more impaired than men after drinking equivalent amounts of alcohol. Also, alcohol use plays a huge role in many acquaintance rapes.

A Tribute to Cameron Dean, Psy.D.

The Counselor’s Corner column originated in the fall of 2000 when Cameron Dean, a newly hired Clinical Counselor at the UIS Counseling Center, wanted to reach out to students by writing a column that covered psychological issues of interest to UIS students. He also wanted to ensure that students were aware of the counseling services that are available on campus and to make it easier for them to take those first steps toward getting help. Cameron Dean passed away on September 1, 2005, after an extended battle with cancer.

National Women’s History Month

For those of you who don’t know, March is National Women’s History Month. Now why would a counselor bring up National Women’s History Month to write about, you may be asking? I know you think that I am going to write about Jane Addams, the mother of social work. Nope, my focus will be on Carrie Nation, the mother of the hatchet.

Depression

As a new college student you face many new challenges and pressures.  You might be living on your own for the first time and feeling homesick or adjusting to roommates.