West Chester University cares about its students. That's why on October 10th they have blessed us with a mental health day.
12:00-1:00, they are showing a documentary titled "It's Real: College Students and Mental Health". This documentary focuses on depression and other mental health conditions on campuses and how to seek help.
1:00-2:00, the WCU Counseling Center Therapy Dogs will be in Sykes. We have the cutest dogs who love to be pet, will do tricks for you, and cuddle up next to you when they sense you need it.
2:00-3:00 is a "Just Talk About It," Minding Your Mind Presentation. This presentation is all about the warning signs you can find in yourself and your peers, the negative coping mechanisms college students use and how to positively cope.
6:00-8:00 there is a Kevin Hines documentary, "Suicide: The Ripple Effect". In this documentary, you will hear about the ripple effects of suicide, told by Kevin Hines who attempted suicide but is now a mental health advocate and motivational speaker.
While I appreciate the effort WCU went through to educate us, it's not what I personally need. Our mental health day is dedicated to people who don't know all of the signs.
I know exactly what warning signs I show. I know when I need to take a break. I know my negative coping mechanisms and how to bounce back from them in a positive way.
Instead of attending any of these Mental Health Day events, I will be attending 6 classes that I can't afford to miss.
Yes, you hear me right. 6 classes. To most college students, that sounds crazy. You may be thinking "but I take 6 classes in total." That's good for you, but I have 10 classes in total, plus a total of 10 hours of work a week.
A Mental Health Day event does not appeal to someone like me.
What I need is a day off. Excused absences. I haven't had a single free weekend since the semester started. I haven't had a chance to catch my breath, and that's all I need. At 12, I am taking a 30 min lunch break to relax, I have class at 1, 2, and 3. By the time I get out of class, it's 6 and that doesn't include the extracurricular time commitments I have that night.
If you're available, you should definitely check out at least one of these hourly events. You will learn so much, not just about others, but yourself.
While this event is helpful for the majority of campus, it does not extend to all of its students' needs.
