College offers puppies and coloring books to deal with finals stress

[TheConsciousness]

Well, I know an adult male that had to take a sick day in 2008 the day after the election.

HAHAHAHAHA thats funny as heck.

 

[sam_gordon]

Would you not send a fun "car package" to your child in college because they should "self pacify?"

I have a child in college and we haven't sent a care package. We pay for her tuition, room, and meals. She has her own "fun" money.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

My oldest and his room mates have been having jam sessions with their guitars and are planning a movie night get together for stress relief.

The jam sessions have been pretty popular with other people from the apartments joining in with their instruments - I think that's a pretty good way to relieve stress as long as they aren't doing it at 3am and keeping others awake.

As far as puppies and coloring - well each to their own I guess. I didn't have any of that when I was in college (only 2 years). You were on your own back then for stress relief.

 

[bethbuchall]

I have a child in college and we haven't sent a care package. We pay for her tuition, room, and meals. She has her own "fun" money.

Well, I'm sure that not having to worry about tuition, room, and meals is a stress relief in itself. Different means for different kids.

Despite the care packages from home and fun events on campus when they were in college, my older two are well-adjusted, completely self-sufficient, and are able to safely relieve stress on their own these days. I'm sure that the majority of the currently "coddled" will make it also.

 

[CarolAnn856]

For all of you "suck it up" types: do you have a pet or an activity you do when you are stressed? I bet you do. And, as an adult, you probably have the money to pay for your de-stress activity and the means to get to it (aka, transportation).

Now, not every campus is the same, but many students who live on campus don't have much spending money and many don't have easy access to places off campus. I would guess that most certainly don't have their own pet in their dorm room. So what's the harm in the school bringing those kinds of things in for students? Nothing. Nothing at all.

 

[3Gsandme]

I have a child in college and we haven't sent a care package. We pay for her tuition, room, and meals. She has her own "fun" money.

So, your daughter hasn't deal with homesickness. That's great, but it doesn't make her better than a student that does. You haven't had a need to send her some comforts from home but there's nothing wrong with students who would like or need it. My oldest would. She's not been coddled but she is a home body. That's okay. It's who she is. I'm the same way.

I think it's short sighted for people to pretend that today's college students aren't under more pressure than students of previous generations. Many college students have to work to support themselves. Many have to take out loans that they know may take them decades to pay off. We need to quit pretending that today's young people aren't entering a world that was different for us (and by us, I mean you boomers. We Gen Xers had plenty of struggles, too). Additionally, we know better, now, about how stress affects us. Why don't we want more positive outcomes?

 

[klacey1]

The reason I disagree with universities taking these steps is the students don't have to "self" pacify. What if coloring books or puppies doesn't work for someone. Should a college set up a shooting range with an AK-47?

There's not single service offered by any organization on the planet that works for every single constituent. What colleges and universities are trying to do is offer the services that they believe will be the most well-received by the most students. Not to mention, as many other posters on this thread have pointed out, schools offer plenty of activities related to stress relief--special meals, dorm activities, etc. Those just aren't quite as headline-y as puppies and coloring books.

 

[sam_gordon]

For all of you "suck it up" types: do you have a pet or an activity you do when you are stressed?

I think it's short sighted for people to pretend that today's college students aren't under more pressure than students of previous generations.

I still don't think anyone has suggested the students aren't under stress or that they should "suck it up". I just think students should have to find their own ways to relieve stress. Colleges want to have rooms open so students can get together, or eat is fine. To me, that's different, although I don't know that I can explain why.

 

[CarolAnn856]

I still don't think anyone has suggested the students aren't under stress or that they should "suck it up". I just think students should have to find their own ways to relieve stress. Colleges want to have rooms open so students can get together, or eat is fine. To me, that's different, although I don't know that I can explain why.

First, let me state that my use of "suck it up" is just an expression of the general idea that the schools have no business providing certain outlets for students.

Second, going on that, colleges have provided stress busters and fun outlets for their students for years. Students are free to partake or not. So what if one of the options is to play with dogs? Or hang out in the student union that has extended hours for finals? Or go to the on-campus gym? Or indulge in the ice cream bar set up in the common room? These kids ARE finding their own stress relief in the offerings of the college. Nobody is forcing them to do anything. The schools are just making some fun things available for students who are interested. It's not the end of the world like some (not you, sam_gordon) on this thread are making it out to be.

 

[mjkacmom]

I still don't think anyone has suggested the students aren't under stress or that they should "suck it up". I just think students should have to find their own ways to relieve stress. Colleges want to have rooms open so students can get together, or eat is fine. To me, that's different, although I don't know that I can explain why.

So the fact that colleges have been providing activities for students to destress forever, such as pizza parties and games is fine, but providing proven stress relievers like coloring books (no weight gain) or shelter dogs (free and beneficial to the dogs) is a bad thing.

Compared to my dd20, your's is coddled. She has loans to pay back, and pays for her room and board by waitressing three shifts every weekend. Next semester she is interning three days a week, as well. She'd love to pet a dog or color, but has no time for that, unfortunately. Is she stressed right now? Yes!

 

[NHdisneylover]

I still don't think anyone has suggested the students aren't under stress or that they should "suck it up". I just think students should have to find their own ways to relieve stress. Colleges want to have rooms open so students can get together, or eat is fine. To me, that's different, although I don't know that I can explain why.

US universities have been providing much more than just the basics of learning since pretty much their foundations. On campus housing, dining halls, football and other sports teams and games to attend, etc---ALL of those are things studemts could well be told to handle on their own if they are interested in them. NONE relate directly to learning the things the degree is about. Yet, much of what we do in the US for university is provide that "college experience," sort of a stepping stone to adulthood with lots of fun activites and help learning how to adjust to life on one's own (like having meals already prepared for them in dining halls instead of having to grocery shop, cook and clean like most of us do; or as is the case here, having help learning how to safely reduce stress ) and having lots of fun and building comraderie (football games, homecoming activites, etc).
I really don'T see how this is different, other than it is a smaller event, costs less, and is perhaps different than what you had growing up.

 

[3Gsandme]

I still don't think anyone has suggested the students aren't under stress or that they should "suck it up". I just think students should have to find their own ways to relieve stress. Colleges want to have rooms open so students can get together, or eat is fine. To me, that's different, although I don't know that I can explain why.

People on this thread have said that saying that these kids are snowflakes or coddled or need "safe spaces". Those aren't positive statements.

I've never worked anyplace that wouldn't have occasional stress relieving/morale boosting offerings. This idea that adults have to find this on their own and no one helps them is untrue. Additionally, it's easy for someone at home with all of their resources available to make provisions for themselves. If you find time with animals stress relieving and live in a dorm where you may or may not have transportation off campus, sending that time with an animal might be difficult or impossible.

Learning that coloring or time with animals is stress relieving for you is a skill you can carry forward in your life and beyond that, some of this stuff is fun. Why are we begruding people fun?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

There's not single service offered by any organization on the planet that works for every single constituent. What colleges and universities are trying to do is offer the services that they believe will be the most well-received by the most students. Not to mention, as many other posters on this thread have pointed out, schools offer plenty of activities related to stress relief--special meals, dorm activities, etc. Those just aren't quite as headline-y as puppies and coloring books.

I think it's not just the puppy & coloring books - though that's part of it. It's that it plays to the whole "safe space" thing, especially since this was done specifically as a finals "de-stressing" thing. Look, college is supposed to be hard. It's supposed to be stressful. It's supposed to be a real achievement when you finish. And not everyone is supposed to make it through. We've all known people in our professional lives who are highly educated, but just cannot function in a real job. And you wonder, "how on earth did YOU get through college?". Well, here ya go.

Now, I know I enjoyed the fun things we had on campus. I hope my kids have some fun in college, and puppies would rate pretty high up there. So, I'm not totally opposed to the idea. But, the way it was presented, and the timing certainly had me doing a major eye roll.

 

[mom2rtk]

People on this thread have said that saying that these kids are snowflakes or coddled or need "safe spaces". Those aren't positive statements.

I don't think anyone on this thread made up the term "safe space".

And for what it's worth, I would highly encourage my son to enjoy the puppies (or adult rescue dogs like they had on his campus) at an point during the school year. I think he would have really enjoyed it.

 

[3Gsandme]

I think it's not just the puppy & coloring books - though that's part of it. It's that it plays to the whole "safe space" thing, especially since this was done specifically as a finals "de-stressing" thing. Look, college is supposed to be hard. It's supposed to be stressful. It's supposed to be a real achievement when you finish. And not everyone is supposed to make it through. We've all known people in our professional lives who are highly educated, but just cannot function in a real job. And you wonder, "how on earth did YOU get through college?". Well, here ya go.

Now, I know I enjoyed the fun things we had on campus. I hope my kids have some fun in college, and puppies would rate pretty high up there. So, I'm not totally opposed to the idea. But, the way it was presented, and the timing certainly had me doing a major eye roll.

All those fun things were de-stressing. Again, let's not sit here and pretend that employers don't cater dinners or pay for lunches during stressful projects. I worked at a grocery store during college. During Christmas and thanksgiving we'd have store sponsored pot lucks and other activities. Why do you think that happened? The morale boost was good for the team and reduced stress.

I'm also unsure where this idea of "some people are supposed to fail out of college" has come from. I'm not a millennial and that concept has never been presented to me.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I'm also unsure where this idea of "some people are supposed to fail out of college" has come from. I'm not a millennial and that concept has never been presented to me.

You didn't get the "look to your left, now look to your right" speech at freshman orientation?

 

[mom2rtk]

You didn't get the "look to your left, now look to your right" speech at freshman orientation?

My son had that very speech in high school!

 

[3Gsandme]

I don't think anyone on this thread made up the term "safe space".

And for what it's worth, I would highly encourage my son to enjoy the puppies (or adult rescue dogs like they had on his campus) at an point during the school year. I think he would have really enjoyed it.[/QUOTE

No. Safe spaces is an established term however it's been used on this thread in a way that's clearly not positive.

It's weird, to me, that we would begrudge people finding a way to be happier and less stressed. Its weird that people hold the belief that "life is miserable. Deal". What I want is for my kids to have better coping techniques than I have/had. I'd like them to realize they have a peaceful, non-destructive, effective way to manage stress as they bridge into adulthood. To me that's extremely positive. And, since I think college is partly about making that bridge, it seems an appropriate place to teach that.

 

[3Gsandme]

You didn't get the "look to your left, now look to your right" speech at freshman orientation?

No.

And I hit college in 1994. Of course we knew some people wouldn't make it. But it was never presented as a weeding out.

 

[kamik86]

Assuming that the school is still expecting the students to manage their time to go to these activities and study for finals and take the finals I really don't see any issue with this.

Before finals week we used to set up huge game parties. The school helped us find equipment for them. We had a section for the software engineers that had two rows of these little conference rooms with TVs. We realized it would be perfect for Xbox turnaments students brought theres and set them up one in each room and they could play games in teams against each other.

Now my cats are a huge stress relief for me but I couldn't have them in college. In dorms or the apartment I lived in so I would have loved something like this. Coloring seems a bit weird since the students would easily have access to those things on their own but my guess is they wanted to set a space up so students coudl socialize while coloring too.

When classes are supposed to change curriculums and make things easier so students feel safe I think that is bull. When schools simply provide space for activities that students might not have the space for themselves (and I see the puppies this way, they set up a space for the SPCA and the students to use to play. I'm sure the shelter likes having all the volunteers to help take dogs on walks etc right now when many of their normal volunteers might be more busy as well)

Those that say schools didn't help you find the way to participate in stress relief as students... those of you that drank did your school have drunk buses to help get you to and from parties safely? That is a coddling that has been happening for years and is encouraging unhealthy activities!