Helping Your Student Make Healthy Decisions In addition to conversations about substance use and relationships, it is a good idea to discuss other elements of wellness that can impact your student’s overall wellbeing. These include:
Sleep
Without someone reminding them to turn off the lights to get some sleep and the fact that classes may start before noon, many students struggle with establishing a healthy sleep schedule. This often leads to skipping class, exhaustion and higher stress levels, poor grades, and “self-medicating” with extra coffee or energy drinks. As your student begins college, a check-in to ensure they are getting enough sleep is a good idea. Ask questions like: What time are you going to sleep and waking up? Do you feel rested? Are you losing sleep because you aren’t managing your other time well, so you have to stay up to finish assignments or homework? These questions can be followed with messages about the importance of getting 7 – 8 hours of sleep every night and establishing habits of going to bed and waking up at a similar time every day. If they need some help with managing time to be able to get more sleep, you can refer them to the Center for Academic Achievement. They can also speak with someone in Prevention and Wellness about creating a better sleep schedule.
Eating
Many students go to college worried about gaining the “Freshman 15”. Although it is something of a myth, the truth is that students begin creating eating habits in the same way they do other habits in their first year. For some students, they realize that freedom in college also means the freedom to eat whatever they want whenever they want, and that may lead to weight gain or an overconsumption of sugary, fried, and processed foods and a lack of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Check in with your student about when and what they are eating. Encourage them to use resources on campus like the Registered Dietician and Prevention and Wellness to learn some easy ways to make healthy eating decisions.
Staying or Getting Active
Students who get some activity in their daily routine report feeling and doing better. 30
F G C U I PA R E N T & FA M I LY G U I D E
Everyone is at a different level and has different abilities. Encourage your student to walk or bike to class rather than taking the shuttle, take advantage of their free membership to Campus Recreation’s Fitness Center, and/or use activities like intramurals as a way to meet people and be active. Remember, doing something is always better than doing nothing.
Choices, Choices, Choices Students are usually so excited about the freedom and independence that college brings, that they sometimes forget about the responsibility that goes along with it. Your student’s first semester will be full of choices. Do I go out and hang with friends, or do I study? Do I make another bowl of ramen noodles, or do I eat an apple? Sometimes it is not as easy as what food to eat but rather big decisions that are impacted by outside forces (friends, stress, etc.) affecting their decisions. And, just because they know the healthiest decision, that does not always make it easy to make that choice. If your student chooses to share these with you, do your best to be patient, listen, and understand that your own wisdom was developed over time by your own unique experiences. They, too, will need experiences to grow and learn. We encourage you to be a listening ear, provide advice when it’s asked for or needed, and don’t assume it is a request to step in on their behalf unless it is a serious matter. Your role and relationship with your student will likely change when they go to college, but it certainly does not mean they don’t need or want your influence.
