By Prashalan Govender
In the recent years, since the 2000s, youth have been dealing with unprecedented pressures due to challenges previously never experienced: social media and the weight of knowing a secondary or even tertiary education may not be sufficient cause for one to be employed. However, such stressors are dramatically magnified in university with the addition of new anxiety-inducing experiences. The university currently known as Rhodes University seems to know this and have consequently implemented strategies to reduce the impact of tertiary education on their students by encouraging sensitivity and support systems.
Seemingly, more students are struggling than ever before with mental health. This is due to the additional stress that college brings to an already distressed youth: not being around family, adjusting to courses, trying to meet new people and an increased workload. Such high amounts of stress have led to burn-out, mental illness and even death. Thus, Rhodes University and organisations affiliated with the university has implemented strategies to provide a more supportive and understanding environment. For example, an independent news organisation,
Activate, has decided to take caution when publishing articles to ensure that no topic can be triggering for readers. Additionally, the organisation has various sections in their publication to consequently make a more inclusive environment at Rhodes University.
Furthermore, the university has encouraged students to seek help by being transparent about the issue of mental illness. During orientation week students recall being immediately notified of the university counseling centre and being made aware of exactly where the counseling centre was. A Goldfields resident, Vincent Barry, said that leadership’s concern for mental health extended beyond notification of a counseling centre and having a counseling centre, “During our very first house meeting our warden had said that he and the house community was here for us”. Such an act of having a support system so close to the students seems to be intended to mimic most students’ homes by having a support system that’s easily accessible.
Additionally, the counselling centre at Rhodes has made psychology students practice providing psychological help through working with struggling students. This is a fruitful practice as it allows students to become better equipped to combat the rising epidemic of mental illness. Moreover, students talking to other students make it easier for students battling with stress to share their experiences, “I feel more comfortable speaking to someone who is closer to my age because I think they might be able to relate to my stress or at least find my stress credible” noted Akshay Singh.
While it can most certainly be said that more can be done for all the reasons listed above Rhodes has proven that it is dedicated to making strides that result in a university that is as comfortable as possible for their students.
Diversity Times 