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Your Health & Wellness
Some helpful links: e-CHUG: a short, online survey that provides you with an accurate, detailed assessment of your alcohol use. Student Health Center, Hazen Hall Counseling Center, Hazen Hall SUNY Brockport's BodyWise Program Nutrition and Exercise Information through SUNY Brockport's Health Promotions Office |
Q&As regarding your health and wellness
Q. I can't seem to shake this cold. What can I do?
A. Go to the College Health Center, located in Hazen Hall. There you can get the medical attention that you need. They even have "cold care packages" with items like herbal tea, cough drops, aspirin, etc. that you can take with you. It is very common for even the most healthy students to become sick--especially early in their college careers--due to the stress caused by the transition to a new lifestyle. At the Health Center you can get the medical attention that you need--and often it is free!
Q. I am having a very personal problem and haven't made any friends whom I can trust.
A. The Counseling Center, at (585) 395-2207, is the place to go when you feel you have no place to turn. Visit their web page (linked above) for advice, or make an appointment with them. The counselors there understand how difficult college life can be--especially for first-year students--and they can be trusted to listen to whatever it is that you need to get off your chest, and discuss with you ways to better your situation. And, of course, whatever you discuss with them is 100% confidential. Again, it is up to you to call them--once you do, you are well on your way to getting on track.
Q. I just don't feel that college is for me.
A. Although you have every right to feel as if college is not for you, do not be too hasty in that decision. The first year of college can be very difficult, and many students who felt as freshmen that they were not "cut out" for college or that they just didn't want to stay, did stay and ended up as successful graduates four years later. Those graduates will tell you that they just got used to the college environment, although it was very hard at first. Many of them saw other students all around them that didn't seem to have any problems adjusting, and wondered what was wrong with them. Some started out with very low GPAs and ended up graduating with honors. So, as difficult as your first year can be, remember, (1) you are not alone, and (2) things will turn around, once you have made SUNY Brockport more of a home for yourself. Talk to your RA or RD, or someone at The Counseling Center, (585) 395-2207 about just what is making you feel uncomfortable, and you will find these difficulties much easier to overcome.
Q. I might be homesick.
Living away from home for the first time is difficult for many college students, even if home is only an hour away. Your feelings of homesickness are normal and you are definitely not alone. Below are some tips on overcoming that homesick feeling so that you can concentrate on your studies, your new friends and your life here at college.
- Get involved! We have over 60 clubs and organizations on campus. Most likely, at least one of them interests you! This will connect you to peers at SUNY Brockport who share the same interests as you. Also, check out the Events Calendar. If it’s happening here, you can find it there.
- Enjoy a taste of home. Bring items (favorite snack food, pictures of friends and family, etc.) to help bring home a little closer to you. Pay a visit to a local church of your denomination, or if you are Catholic, visit the Newman Center.
- Make your home away from home as comfortable as possible. Your residence hall room is your haven. Take a trip to local stores and purchase items that will transform your plain room into something you feel more at home in. Or, get creative! Hang paintings you or your friends created. Cut up old magazines and make decorative collages. A lot can be done with an old piece of fabric: make curtains, a tapestry, or a new bed cover.
- Remain positive and ready to meet new people. Keep your door open in the residence halls, hang out in the common areas, or sit in a new place each time you attend class. Make it a point to visit the dining halls and union when they are their busiest.
- Realize that the early months are the most difficult. For many students, September seems to go on forever! After Labor Day in early September there are no days off until mid-term break in mid-October. Typically the time goes much more quickly at this point and seems to “fly by” once you hit Thanksgiving. The spring semester also seems to go more quickly than the fall.
- Remember that you are not alone. Most students feel some level of homesickness, but few actually talk about it with each other. Check out more information about homesickness and tips to conquer it at our Counseling Center.
First Year Students: Contact Us!
AOL screen name: MomE152
Phone: 585-395-5435
AOL screen name: Orient2Brockport
