December 1998

Related Links Counseling Center

Counceling Center Provides Help for Stressed-Out Students By Emily Yaghmour Although we may look back on our college days as carefree times, the reality is that the lives of college students can be very stressful, particularly at the end of the semester. Adrienne Barna, associate director of the Counseling Center, says, "We see many students [near the end of the semester] who are not doing as well academically as they had hoped." Academic difficulties of this nature can be enormously distressing to students, says Barna. The distress often is compounded by the student's unhappiness over disappointing his or her family, she adds. As Ruth Fischer, visiting assistant professor in English and director of composition, points out, academic difficulties are frequently not the primary source of stress. Often, she says, students have personal problems of some kind, and academic difficulties are simply "the most obvious manifestation" of those problems. According to Counseling Center literature, common sources of stress include difficulty with family and significant relationships, difficulty handling multiple responsibilities, inadequate academic skills, traumatic experiences, substance abuse, and undiagnosed learning disabilities. Faculty members can be of enormous assistance to students in distress if they recognize the warning signs and talk to students about their options. A decline in the quality of a student's work and class participation, increased absences from class, and disruptive behavior are all signs of difficulty. Other signs to be on the lookout for are difficulties in a student's significant relationships, incapacitating test anxiety, withdrawal from usual social interaction, and even poor personal hygiene. Fischer asks her students to keep personal journals, and sometimes students reveal their distress there, she explains. Since her classes are rather small, she says she gets to know her students well. She knows there is a problem when she detects a big change in a student's personality. "Either they're usually very quiet, and they become very agitated, or they're very bouncy usually and they become very quiet." Some faculty members readily serve as both academic and personal advisors to students. Fischer says she willingly plays "the confidante role" if that is what students need her to do. Sometimes, however, faculty members do not have the time or expertise to provide the kind of assistance a student requires. Fortunately, the Counseling Center assists students with all kinds of concerns--from developmental/adjustment difficulties, such as poor study skills, to personal/psychological issues, such as family problems, depression, or anxiety. Faculty members are encouraged to refer students to the center to discuss their concerns and to identify steps to alleviate them. Barna, who has been working at the center for 14 years, says, "We see students who are dealing with concerns related to becoming more independent, making major life decisions, and being successful students. We also see students who are very depressed, unable to function in school, and who are engaging in unhealthy or even self-destructive behaviors. Some of the students we see have difficulty managing strong feelings, such as anger." Fischer says that, over the years, she has sent students to the Counseling Center for various reasons. She has even offered to walk them to the door. "I'll do whatever I can to get them there," she says. This kind of involvement can make all the difference, according to center director Ralph Roberts. "We found that, in situations where those students received guidance and referral information from faculty members, they resolved their problems and did better in their classes," he says. In addition to crisis intervention and individual and group counseling, the center provides numerous programs, workshops, and resources, some of which are designed to assist students academically and some of which target personal issues, such as self-esteem, interpersonal skills, stress management, eating behaviors, sexual orientation, and mood changes. The center also provides multicultural services through the Black Peer Counseling program and the Multicultural Research and Resource Center. Although most of the counseling services are provided directly to students, says Barna, "we work very extensively with faculty and staff to provide them with consultation on how to help students be successful. If faculty members are concerned about a student who is not doing well at George Mason for academic or personal or social reasons, they should feel free to call the Counsel-ing Center and consult with one of the counselors." Consultation is not the only way the center can help faculty members help their students. Arrangements can be made for counselors to come into classrooms and make presentations on such subjects as stress management, time management, study strategies, and even issues related to abuse and assault. Another program, called the Classroom Assessment Project, enables faculty members to arrange for Counseling Center staff to come into their classrooms to provide students with an assessment of their academic skills and learning styles. Not only do students receive feedback on how to improve their skills and learning strategies, but faculty members can use the assessment to help them tailor their teaching strategies to match the learning styles of their students. But faculty members can't help their students if they are themselves distressed. Although the services are provided mainly for students, faculty and staff members may also receive assistance there. "We do provide confidential personal consultation on a limited basis to faculty and staff members who are feeling distressed," says Barna. "We're available to offer support and to identify resources for [them] to use." For more information, call x32380 or visit the center's website at www.gmu.edu/departments/csdc.