As someone who finished her degree in midst of the pandemic, there is so much that educators need to learn when it comes to supporting college students in 2022. Academics, extracurricular activities, friendships, relationships, families and other factors can affect the everyday lives of students. Managing all these things at once is a big challenge, let alone trying to give everything 100%. In the academic world, it’s important to bring grace and understanding into classrooms. The past two years have changed the way that education needs to be executed and how the staff needs to support the students. 2022 needs to be better for students everywhere.

Practical Ways to Support 

Having stable mental and physical health during a student’s time in school will dramatically affect how they perform. If a student is not getting proper nutrition because they cannot afford it at home, something needs to be done about it. Here are some practical ways to help students in 2022: 

• Have a blessing box for food, toiletries, coupons for free meals and so on. 
• Survey your students to see if anyone needs financial help for food/bills or mental health services. 
• Have pamphlets about how to apply for government assistance in your classroom. 
• Get to know your students so that you’re able to see when something is not right. 

Ways to Help Your Students’ Mental Health

A lot of the time, mental health concerns will go unnoticed and be swept under the rug. Most of the time when there are full-time students, it usually means they are participating in other things as well. If students don’t maintain a proper schedule, it can become daunting just to do a small task. Here are some ways to help with students’ mental health:

• Offer resources for local therapists, online therapy, or counselors on school grounds. 
• Look up free resources like planners, self help books, pamphlets, etc that can be left out on a table for students to take at their leisure. 
• Pay attention to your students and get to know them. More than anything…Learning the signs will help the most. A great resource for this can be found here. 
• Give Grace. Offer extensions, open office hours, extra credit and so on. Give people the opportunity to succeed when they feel like they never will. Remind them that they can do this!

Have An Open Mind and Heart 

Everyone handles life differently—whether it’s a life changing event or a change to their normal routine. For some people, a tiny change in their routine can be detrimental to their mental health. On the flip side, another person could react completely differently. Each one of your students is different and unique when it comes to their own life—have an open heart and an open mind. It will be different for everyone, just be there as best as you can to support them. Refer students to try the BetterYou app to find time for their wellness while they balance the demands of college. We help students prioritize what matters most!