This week, students from across the country—and in some cases, across the world—will descend on Carleton’s campus to begin their university careers. For many of these students, this will be the first time they’re living on their own—a huge transition in itself, never mind the huge shift in workload compared to high school.
Fall Orientation activities are designed to make incoming students feel welcome, and get them acclimated to the campus. While frosh events mostly succeed in doing this, they’re missing one key element: mental health.
Most students who come to campus in the fall are not completely prepared for the massive adjustment, nor are they prepared for the feelings of overwhelming sadness or anxiety they might experience as a result of these changes.
While this might not happen to every student who walks through Carleton’s campus, it happens to the vast majority of them—too many for the frosh organizers to not acknowledge.
It might not be a fun topic to bring up during the first week of classes, but it’s a necessary one. Students need to know that mental health issues don’t make them weak, self-care is important, and there are resources available to help them when they need them.
Frosh week is meant to be fun, and it should be fun—but it also can’t ignore the realities of campus life.
