As part of the Western Serves initiative, mindyourmind had the opportunity to work with a group of amazing youth. They spent two hours learning and talking about mental health. As part of our session, we asked them a few questions. Here are a few things the youth felt universities could do to better support student mental health.
How could universities better support student mental health?
Felix: Universities could provide pamphlets with self-care tips around stressful times of the semester (midterms, finals).
Selena: Universities could better support student mental health by being more lenient on deadlines, especially through the pandemic. We are constantly being told that academics are more important than student mental health, which is an idea that needs to be let go of. I have heard from peers that some professors give a specific timeline to hand things in rather than a concrete date, which warms my heart and makes me feel like some of them actually do care/understand!
GR: Streamlining resources. Right now, there’s an abundance of resources regarding mental health offered by universities, however, it’s overwhelming for students. The streamline would first ensure that students recognize these resources and the categorization like how it was performed on the mindyourmind website would make them feel better about the utilization of these resources.
Kareem: Professors could emphasize the importance of students’ mental health prior to an exam, they can do this by providing resources or letting them know that they should prioritize their mental health rather than force themselves to write the exam when they can be accommodated.
Jiayi: They could host events to bring more awareness regarding the various mental health resources available on campus.
Jessie: Reduce wait times for those seeking mental health counselling. Provide affordable options for long-term mental healthcare (e.g. psychotherapy). More proactivity and less reactivity.
Mindie: To not have assignments or exams from all classes due on the same day.
Faith: Universities are beginning to encourage a lot of support for mental health outside of the classroom. However, I can’t help but imagine how much more support could be offered if the style of learning in the classroom reflected these efforts & support. The passive, lecture-note-taking way of learning cannot truly support diverse, curious & experimental minds. Being curious, inspired, & truly challenged is absolutely essential for our health & well-being. The current system does not do so well at calling upon creative projects & diverse learning experiences for students. It is no surprise people feel uninspired at university. It is also no surprise students are depressed, experiencing worthless thoughts, and blaming themselves for poor assessment performance. We must consider if the broader school system in place truly supports our learning & allows our minds to thrive. Universities could better support student mental health by actively creating assessment opportunities that foster creative thinking, collaborative or independent projects that encourage growth & out-of-the-box thinking. This shift within the classroom would encourage the next generation to take inspired action & make meaningful change. We forget how powerful we really are when moving through the current system heavily focused on numbers & outcomes. To be lifelong learners, we must be moved by our inner life force & truly challenged in our academic pursuits.