By Devin Orsini
Algonquin is offering its annual series of academic workshops for students to help cope with stress and college life in the AC Hub throughout October.
There are several different workshops provided: one that focuses on managing stress, explaining what it is and how to deal with it, and another on anxiety under pressure and how to successfully manage your time.
“A lot of people that attend don’t have the skills to cope. We want students to succeed and give them the skills necessary to do so,” said Deborah Buck, student success specialist. “It’s a new experience for a lot of students. Most come straight from high school or have families and lives that keep them occupied.”
These workshops have become a regular staple at Algonquin. They’ve been offered every year since counselling services was first formed.
“Each year it evolves and we try to improve it by incorporating whatever emerging trends there are in mental health,” said Lisa Gallant-King, counsellor.
“A lot of people that attend don’t have the skills to cope. We want students to succeed and give them the skills necessary to do so” – Deborah Buck
Not all students have a firm hold on college life and students graduating is important for the college; even more so then it is to the students.
“There’s good and bad stress. When stress exceeds a certain level then it becomes bad stress and there’s ways you can respond,” said Gallant-King.
Counselling services has seen a generally positive response from students, though scheduling has gotten in the way of these workshops becoming a complete success. Students are bogged down with classes, jobs, families and lives. That’s why counselling services are taking steps to digitize their workshops by providing webinars and videos online for those who can’t attend in person.
“We hope to move towards more of an online environment. The downfall of that, is we lose out on the relationship with the student,” said Gallant-King.