Why Is Mental Health Important For First-Year College Students?

Mental health is often an important component to my job as an RA, not only for myself but also for my residents. Coming to college is a huge change in many ways for first-year students. For the most part, the classes are structured differently than high school, residents are away from their homes, and, consequently, they are more vulnerable to mental health problems. As an RA, it is important for me to be aware of mental health and resources to help students cope with any troubles they may have. That way, I can be prepared to assist residents in figuring out how to navigate through their first year, so that they can continue to have a successful academic career. I also need to be as mentally well as I can be so that I am able to be there for my residents whens they need me. The two classes about mental health will assist me with that this school year.

Specifically, we covered problems more common to fall quarter, but we also talked about some from winter and spring quarter. I feel that this class is important because it educates RAs about the causes of mental health issues, some of which we may have never thought of if they do not affect us. By providing us with scenarios to look out for, we can be better prepared to help residents before any problems they have grow to be too much for them to handle. We can be proactive and get them in contact with resources as soon as they feel strain on their mental wellbeing. Even though I am a returner, I feel that being retold what to be aware of when trying to reach residents is beneficial. As the school year passes, causes of and ways to approach mental health challenges change, so having the reminder allows me to reorient myself for beginning of the year