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A helping hand for new university students
20 February 2009
Coping with stress and the pressures that go hand-in-hand with student life was the focus of an Armidale Community Health Centre stall held this week, during the University of New England’s orientation program (commonly known as ‘O Week’).
The community health centre has provided information on various health matters over a number of years at O Week, and the theme selected for this year’s stall was “resilience”.
Armidale Community Health Social Worker Pari Jay defined resilience as the ability to bounce back from stressful experiences and adapt to stressful situations without adverse consequences.
Ms Jay stated that resilience will not and does not stop negative things from happening, but does provide a buffer to minimise the negative impact of stressful events on our lives.
“Many local students are new to the Armidale area and university life. The various adjustments and changes required to adapt can be stressful, in addition to academic pressure to perform,” Ms Jay said.
As part of the O Week health promotion stall, students were provided with information on maintaining a robust study-life balance. Information was also available relating to support lines offering assistance, including 24/7 crisis services, drug and alcohol services, sexual health and mental health services.
Students were able to talk at length with Armidale Community Health staff about stress, and about how to foster resilience so they were better able to handle the down times and cope with pressure.
The stall also featured a power-point presentation, prepared by Youth Mental Health Project Officer Helen Carter. The presentation outlined resilience methods such as how to tap into hope, how to bounce back or recover from stressful situations, and how to take on challenges and find meaning in them. It also outlined ways to rise above adversities, and ways to respond positively to difficult situations and learn and grow through various experiences in life.
Ms Jay said the cohesive team of Armidale Community Health staff who assisted during this year’s O Week were approachable and friendly, adding to the success of the stall.
“The whole idea behind the community health stall was to provide students with the ideas and tools which would allow them to transform unfavourable and challenging situations into wisdom, insight and compassion,” Ms Jay said.
“Raising awareness of our health services is critical for students, so that they feel cared for and supported during their university experience.”
(HNE-1743)
Contact: Carisa Green
Phone: (02) 6767 7135 or 0428 106 183
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