Midterms and finals wreak havoc on student mental health and well-being every semester.
To combat this, SAIT counselling offers a handful of services, including academic advising, coping and support strategies and crisis management. Use of these resources skyrockets during exam season.
“If anything is already not going well, then during midterms it tends to get worse,” said Marta Edgar, an educational counsellor at SAIT. “And then any other unexpected things that happen around midterms have much more of a disruptive force than at any other time.”
In addition to counselling services, SAIT’s student association, SAITSA, runs a peer support centre.
The peer support centre offers a safe space for students and focuses on student mental health and wellness. Peer Support Centre staff are trained to help students get the support and resources they need to thrive in a post-secondary environment.
“Your health should be always a priority, so… don’t compare yourself to other students in campus,” said Jose Rivas, assistant manager for student experience at SAITSA. “Always try to maintain a level-head with responsibilities that you have, but also make sure that you always put yourself first.”
Midterms and final exams can cause a lot of stress and anxiety, and some students find themselves consumed in their studies.
“Probably most students can say they are stressed out and feeling overwhelmed around midterms,” Edgar said. “The main thing is to learn to manage it. It’s not anything unusual and anxiety is fairly common. Symptoms of depression might be happening anytime.”
Navigating the pressure of midterms and finals can be challenging, but the resources that SAIT offers helps students balance their mental health and their studies.
The Peer Support Centre is located on the first floor of the Senator Burns Building, and the counselling office can be found on the second floor in Heritage Hall.
“This is not a race, it’s a marathon. Always take care of yourself first,” Rivas said. “Studies, education [are] very important, but it’s not the most important thing in your life.”
