College can be the best time of your life, but it can also be filled with intimidation, stress, and negative thoughts. When faced with the hardships that accompany the fun memories and laughter that college can provide, it can seem easy to pay attention to these hardships during stressful times. Although every college can provide resources for its students, more can and should be done.

At The Ohio State University, the average wait time for students to receive mental health care is six weeks.

Six weeks with the negativity, the illnesses, and the possible prolonged thoughts of, “Am I good enough? Do I matter to anyone?” Personally, I have sought out help on Ohio State’s campus, and I have been lucky. Although I had to wait eight weeks before I was seen, some students may not get this opportunity. Some students may not be able to make it this long without the proper help in creating a better, more fulfilling life for themselves.

When will the time come when we stop treating mental illnesses as something fictitious? When will the time come when we start having access to quick, efficient, helpful mental health care? If I feel sick or have a physical injury, I am able to see a doctor in minutes. Why do students have to wait weeks to address their mental health issues?

On April 5th, Ohio State lost one of their own Buckeyes to suicide.

Because this has happened in the past before, it’s time for a change. It breaks my heart to know that this has happened more than once. With a campus of 60,000 people, why don’t we have more access to mental health staff and resources?

I’ve seen the argument that counseling or therapy doesn’t help everyone. While that may be true for some, it’s important to note that this depends on the person. Perhaps people that die each year, including students, to mental health related issues would have been given the opportunity to have readily available care. Although no definite conclusions can be made about whether or not help would have given these people a longer life, counseling or therapy may have had a positive impact on these people.

However, they were not given the chance to even try.

Mental health is something that is present in college and mental illnesses affect people that you may not even suspect.

However, it’s time to change the ways that we view mental health, especially among college students. Colleges across the country have money. They have enough money to allocate towards so many different aspects on campus, such as buildings, athletics, organizations, and libraries. These are all important elements of college campuses, but mental health resources can be overlooked.

Counseling isn’t just a client talking to a professional. It’s about creating possible solutions and understanding the problems that someone may be going through. It’s about trying to better yourself, and it’s about trying to live a life where you will thrive. It’s about achieving personal, professional, academic, and social growth.

To Ohio State, and all colleges across the country: it’s time to reevaluate the mental health resources available on your campus. As a college student, I recognize that we need better resources, and it’s time that we are provided with them.