When students come to university for the first time, it can be daunting. Between living away from home for the first time, making new friends, taking classes unlike any you鈥檝e taken before, and 鈥 for many 鈥 learning all about a new city, it鈥檚 not easy to make sure you鈥檙e still taking care of yourself. The best thing you can do is to be as well-informed as possible, so that if a situation arises, you know what to do 鈥 or can find out quickly. You never know what life鈥檚 going to throw at you, so you can never be too prepared.
For this reason, Peer Health and Student Wellness Services have started up a new online magazine called Student Health 101. Health-promotion student Cindy Cheng was adamant about the importance of providing students with a solid support system, starting with plenty of accurate information.
鈥淟eaving home and coming to university, you鈥檙e alone for the first time,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e want to reach those students!鈥
But the online magazine isn鈥檛 just for freshmen who don鈥檛 know their way around. Released monthly, it provides answers and information on a variety of topics, from diet and nutrition to depression and anxiety. Headlines in the 聽include 鈥淩oommate survival guide鈥 and 鈥淪tudy skills that can put you on the A list.鈥
Project head Derrick Enslow selected the company that does Student Health 101 after much shopping around. 鈥淲e looked at a number of different options and this seemed to be the one that resonated most with students,鈥 he says.
This particular format is exciting because it is interactive 鈥 it allows students to post comments and video blogs responding to articles and topics of the month.
鈥淲e can really make it our own; that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 so interesting,鈥 adds Ms. Cheng.
However, for the project to work, students need to participate. Organizers invite students to take a look at the magazine, write in about the stories they see or create a video response.
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