Taking care of yourself when moving to college can be hard to do. I know my parents still worry about me eating and getting plenty of sleep even though I am finishing up my last year. It can be difficult to stay healthy if you are not given the proper resources. Fortunately, I have found it relatively easy to take care of myself while attending Chadron State College. There are plenty of things I can do for myself on campus to make sure my body and mind are in the best shape possible. Utilizing the different resources to stay mentally and physically healthy will make the transition easier.

Fitness

The first thing that gets overlooked when making the transfer to college is exercising. A lot of people in high school participated in some sort of sport or had PE classes. Now, that there is no reason to go to a PE class, a lot of people stop working out. The “Freshman 15” is a real thing that is easy to avoid if you have the right resources. Thankfully, the campus has some workout equipment within each of the residence halls, as well as the Nelson Physical Activity Center, which is free to all students. The NPAC has accessible hours, so it is easy to fit in a workout with your schedule. There are a lot of different things to do to stay active and healthy. There are three basketball courts, volleyball courts, racquetball courts, an indoor track, a dance studio, a weight room, and cardio room. If you are new to fitness or need someone to guide you there are also free fitness classes offered every semester. If you aren’t into weightlifting, but enjoy swimming, there is an indoor community pool just across from campus that is free to students. They have water aerobics classes and you can also swim laps if that is more your speed. There are plenty of ways to keep your body fit and healthy on campus that come at no extra cost to students.

Counseling

The word counseling may sound scary or make someone feel like something is wrong with them. But really it is just a person who is there to listen and help you. CSC has licensed counselors available to help you with the every day problems of college life (relationships, homesickness, stress, etc.) as well as more urgent situations. This is a free resource for students. If you need someone to talk to about anxiety or depression the counselors are here to help. College can be tough and confusing sometimes, but that doesn’t mean that you have to just buckle up and hope for the best. You can get advice and talk to someone. The counselors can help with a variety of situations like helping build self-esteem or helping you adjust to campus life away from home. This is such a wonderful resource to have on campus for all students. Having a healthy mental state and being in the right mindset for college is a way to help you be even more successful.

Library

One last way to stay at the top of your game is to make sure you’re doing well in classes. The stress that comes with not doing well in class can take a huge toll on anyone. Making sure you are passing classes is important. The King Library is a good place to achieve that. The library has so many different resources for students, such as free printing, tutoring, study rooms, and other materials to help you get through classes. There are computers and printers to use in case you don’t own a laptop or need to work outside of your room to get homework done. There is also a free tutoring area to receive help in classes you might be struggling. If  you are working on a group project and need a place to meet, there are study rooms to work in with whiteboards and computers. Being able to stay on top of course work is important, and the library has a calm environment with plenty of different seating options to help you push through. There are also plenty of books and other materials available within the library to help you with research for courses or maybe you’re just a book worm. Either way this is a wonderful place to be able to go and get stuff done with plenty of help and resources at your fingertips.

College can be a crazy and confusing time for people. It can be hard adjusting and figuring out what to do. But CSC has many different ways to help you succeed both inside and outside the classroom.