A ‘break’ can have several meanings, but the common themes are to have fun, relax, and be safe. Break time may take the form of a trip south to relax by the ocean during the day and to further unwind in the evening at restaurants/clubs. However, even though most of us are not taking trips South for the week, we are still entitled to relax.
How this is possible without physically getting away from everything?
Have you ever had family, friends or teachers say unpleasant things to you? Have you failed at something you have tried to accomplish, or felt as if you canít do anything right? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, please know that you are not alone. Everyone, at some point in his/her life, has encountered one or more of these situations. When a situation like this occurs, it may influence the development of your self-esteem. Self-esteem can be defined as the way we feel about and value ourselves.
It is the beginning of a new semester and a new Year. Many of us may have made New Year’s resolutions or promises to ourselves about trying things differently this year.
Many of you have started settling into the routine of classes.It is the time of the semester that first tests or papers are due.This is in addition to everything else that consumes your time such as clubs, organizations, work, relationships and family.It is a stressful time for many valid reasons.
So, how are you doing with this stressful time?It is common for many of us to feel “blue, sad or overwhelmed” for a short period of time, but I am concerned that you may be feeling more than just feeling blue, sad or overwhelmed!
Have you heard the statement, “College…the best years of your life?” I agree. College can be fun and exciting. It is a time for learning, meeting new people, being introduced to new ideas and philosophies, participating in clubs and organizations, and pursuing your personal dreams or goals. Clearly, a lot more than academic learning takes place at college. It’s also a time of social and personal growth.
It is time to begin a new year at UIS! For many of you it is returning to something that is very familiar and for some it is a new experience. The result of this time is highly dependent on your perspective. It is a period of intense didactic learning, social and personal development.
There will be numerous opportunities for you to be involved in intense didactic learning. There will be textbooks to read, studying for tests, research on specific topics and papers to write. These are some ways of expanding your mind while at UIS.
Diversity equals variety and it doesn’t take much looking around to see that America is a diverse land of many people with different ethnicities,religions, beliefs, and languages. You can see this on a college campus, at the mall, on TV, or just by visiting various neighborhoods. This diversity has been a key ingredient of American culture since its very beginning as a nation, and even before with the hundreds of Native American groups who lived across the land.
Every day there are 2001 smoking related deaths in the United States. That is like losing almost our entire undergraduate population at UIS every day. We’ve all heard about the horrible risks of smoking, the long-term effects of what it can do (cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, emphysema). So why are there still 45 million smokers in America? Because quitting is really, really hard.
Do you believe that women are at-risk for alcohol’s effects? Well believe it! The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that women achieve higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood and become more impaired than men after drinking equivalent amounts of alcohol. Also, alcohol use plays a huge role in many acquaintance rapes.
The Counselor’s Corner column originated in the fall of 2000 when Cameron Dean, a newly hired Clinical Counselor at the UIS Counseling Center, wanted to reach out to students by writing a column that covered psychological issues of interest to UIS students. He also wanted to ensure that students were aware of the counseling services that are available on campus and to make it easier for them to take those first steps toward getting help. Cameron Dean passed away on September 1, 2005, after an extended battle with cancer.
