Mental health is a sensitive subject and some of the questions or their responses may be triggering to certain individuals. We have taken care to try to avoid showing anything excessively upsetting, but please only proceed if you are in the headspace to.
If you are experiencing stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we encourage you to seek support — there's no shame in reaching out. Here are some resources that are available to you:
- Campus Wellness — uwaterloo.ca/campus-wellness
- Counseling Services — counselling.services@uwaterloo.ca, (519) 888 4567 ext. 32655, Needles Hall North 2nd Floor (NH 240
- MATES — 1-to-1 peer support program offered by WUSA and Counseling Services — mates@uwaterloo.ca
- Health Services — Across the creek from SLC, (519) 888 4096
- Good2Talk (24/7) — Free confidential helpline for post-secondary students — +1 (866) 925 5454
- Here 24/7 — Mental Health & Crisis Service Team — +1 (844) 437 3247
- OK2BME — Support services for LGBTQ+ teens in Waterloo — (519) 884 0000 ext. 213
2A, Policy 71
3B after securing final co-op
A couple occasions of numerous consecutive days of waking up and only working on an assignment
All the time
Anytime I was jobless before a co-op
COVID terms, being isolated from all my friends and feeling like monotonous everyday.
Fall 2019/Winter 2020
First co-op, threw up some mornings from the stress
First fully online term after COVID (2A)
First term fully online right after COVID shut down campus
From an academic perspective, probably 1A and 1B. The transition from high school to university, especially for those that come from more rural areas without sufficient advanced mathematics prep, can really struggle.
I was betrayed by my partner and isolated myself from my friends for a while.
Job search in 3A
My breakup
Returning from COVID and feeling like I was drifting away from my friends and like had nobody who really cared to talk to me.
There were points where I felt terrible every day and didn't see how I'd get through things.
When my course load was too heavy during COVID terms
failing courses
in the middle of 2B when everything seemed too hard to handle
when i couldn't finish the third assignment in math145 and made the decision to drop the course (i was still very much in my keener era and thought that not doing well academically meant that i had no value as a person). felt like a huge disappointment for a long time
What was the lowest point in your university career?
For most students in the graduating class of 2024, the lowest point in their university journey was their 1A term, marked by the challenges of adapting to university life. Other significant low points included personal struggles like breakups, COVID-19 illnesses, finding their first co-op, failing courses, and navigating Policy 71 proceedings.
Overall, how would you rate your mental health over your entire undergraduate career?
Mental health ratings varied across the scale. Most students rated their mental health as a 3 or 4 out of 5. While a smaller group rated their experience as a 5, showing resilience and well-being, others faced more significant challenges, as indicated by 9 students rating it a 2 and 1 student rating it a 1. Overall, it's a reminder that mental health can fluctuate, and supporting one another through the highs and lows is important.
To what extent did impostor syndrome affect you in your university life?
Imposter syndrome significantly impacted many students in the graduating class of 2024. Most responses fell in the lower range, with 2 (12 votes) and 1 (11 votes) being the most common, but the distribution was fairly even, indicating varying degrees of self-doubt. It's important to remember that feeling this way is okay and a normal part of growth and learning.
Have you ever experienced burnout?
Burnout remains a significant concern, with nearly everyone indicating they experienced it at some point during their undergraduate career. The demanding workload and fast-paced environment can take a toll, leaving students feeling overwhelmed or exhausted. Remember that these feelings are common and that taking time for rest and self-care is crucial in maintaining mental and emotional well-being.
Have you ever been to therapy?
24% of respondents have attended therapy, while 28% have considered it but not gone. While therapy does not end up helping everyone, there is no shame in reaching out and getting support.
Have you ever been to counseling?
28% of respondents have attended counselling, while 17% considered it but did not go. Like with therapy, it's not for everyone, and there are many ways to get help and handle mental health issues, but many people end up finding it helpful in one way or another.
Have you ever used UW Health Services for your mental health?
The majority of the graduating class of 2024 (77.8%) have not used UW Health Services for mental health support, but for many, it's a resource that's easily accessible due to being on-campus and easily works with student health insurance.
If so, how was your experience with UW Health Services?
Most people had a neutral to positive experience with UW Health Services. There is still room for growth, with no responses indicating a perfect 5/5 experience, but many students found the support helpful and valuable.
Do you have any general comments about mental health in university?
What seems big in the moment is often small in the grander scheme of things. When it feels like you can't do anything, just focus on doing what you can.
An sit up a day keeps the demons away.
Be kind to yourself, drop a course if the terms gets to be too rough, take a term off, do what you need to do! You yourself are the one person that will be with you for your while life, be kind to yourself or you'll go through life with a douchebag whispering in your ear the whole time. A healthy inner monologue is the difference between good mental health and bad mental health when things get rough.
Being surrounded by more people can often be even more lonely if you feel like you don't have any genuine connection with them. I felt as if I was failing when I wasn't as close with some people in my program as I "should be". There is no "should be", and it's important to recognize that you sometimes just don't vibe with certain people or certain groups of people, and that's okay. You'll meet a lot of people through coop and school and you'll find your people eventually.
Don't be afraid to change paths and/or find new things to do. The worst part about being in a tough state mentally is feeling trapped.
Enjoy university! It goes by so quickly.
Even when everything seems like you'll never get better again, you'll make it through.
I had a major incident that changed the course of my life in 1A. It had a long term impact on my mental health. If you can, keep fighting, keep your friends close, but most importantly do what makes you happy, and know your feelings aren't invalid
I think my mental health was impacted by needing to make my own decisions in life, without the structure of high school or my parents. It was sorta like decision paralysis, where a lack of confidence in my decision and anxiety about the future made it really difficult to be present in every moment. UWaterloo mental health resources did help tho! even if they can definitely be improved
It is so important to learn how to manage your mental health - it's a life skill. Your mental and physical health should take priority over your grades.
It's really bad for me since coop is a major determinant of my self-worth, and seeing myself fall behind my peers seriously damaged my mental health until I finally found a similarly prestigious full-time job.
People here are really fucking bad at developing deep friendships.
This stage of life is not easy, so don't be shy to openly discuss your mental health.
Went for help in the middle of a breakdown. Instead asked to schedule an intake appointment, 2 days later. Was "over it" by then.
i wish i would have realised sooner that expectations in high school vs. university are extremely different, and carrying those expectations made my life miserable as i struggled to try to keep up and not view myself as a disappointment. making good, close friends helped a lot - would recommend having and growing your support network wherever possible. take time to relax; grades aren't everything, and it shouldn't feel like you're racing against everyone else.
Be kind and patient with yourself the way you would be with a friend. Have a support system you can count on, which can certainly include your parents
Cry
Find good friends and support system!
Fitness, journaling, drinking, partying
Have some good friends
Journaling, pacing, go on a walk, talk with family and friends
Play video games to forget about other problems
Punch my pillows, longingly
Sometimes I like to vent or talk things out with myself in a private (me-only) chat. Typing things out helps to clear my mind and let me vent things out of my system, and it being private to just me means there's no worries about judgement. It can be cathartic for things I'm not ready to talk to people about, or don't feel worth talking to others about.
Talk to friends and eat good food
Talk to friends, family, partner, etc. Focus on something other than the thing stressing you out for a bit.
Talk to my friends and keep doing my hobbies.
Talk to others, work on myself, get rest, eat healthy, drink lots of water, and work out.
Talking to my friends, going on a walk, cooking myself a delicious meal
Talking to my partner, playing Splatoon
Work out and walks :)
destress with friends, hobbies, and club activities, and keep busy to stave off the burnout, lol. after graduating i'm gonna take a nice, loooong break.
What do you do to cope with mental health struggles?
The graduating class of 2024 utilizes a wide range of coping strategies to manage mental health challenges. Many students turn to friends, family, and partners for support, while others focus on self-care activities like working out, eating healthy, and getting rest. Overall, the class demonstrates a strong sense of resilience and the importance of maintaining a good support system and healthy habits.