Feeling lonely or depressed?
- You are responsible for creating your own happiness. It won't just fall into your lap, and you shouldn't wait for someone else to give it to you.
- No one is happy all the time-neither you, nor your professors. Hidden beneath a somewhat gruff exterior may be someone grieving the loss of a family member, or a person grappling with serious personal problems. Be patient! Give yourself and others time to resolve difficulties.
- Depression is an illness. At times you may be able to handle it without help, but at times help may be necessary. You may not want to declare to the world that you are depressed, but you should not deny it or be ashamed of it either. On the UT campus, there are counselors and doctors trained to work confidentially with students dealing with stress and other problems. Seek help if you feel that you're slipping. The longer you wait, the harder it may become. Telephone counseling and self-help tapes are available at 471-2255 and 475-9950.
- Do you know someone who may be deeply depressed or needs help? Sometimes it'll take more than your friendship to resolve the problem. Don't just wait for things to get better. Consult a counselor or a professor you trust.
- Feeling lonely? You are not alone! High school friendships often dissolve in college, and new friendships are hard to form in the mobile class environment. Involvement in extra-curricular activities and finding the way to enjoy casual acquaintances might help.
- Sexual contacts and romances seem to flourish, and you are left wondering what is wrong with you? Most students experience such contacts rarely and late, if at all. Patience and a good sense of humor are essential here. The awkwardness of the teenage years does not automatically disappear when you go to college. Give yourself some time. Look around and see that you are not that different!
- Missing home makes you feel childish? Nonsense! Warm family ties need not disappear when you go to college. Cutting the support system of your younger years is in no way a pre-condition to "making it" on your own. Keep in touch with your parents and siblings, with friends and former teachers. They are still there for you, even if in a "long distance" manner. How about sending an occasional e-mail message?