Today’s recession is causing students to seek out assistance in more ways than one.

Not only are students looking for alternative financial solutions, but they are also looking for emotional support.

With resources like the Counseling Center, students have the opportunity to gain support during these hard economic times.

‘Some students are affected by what’s going on with their families and seeing that their families are being influenced by the current economic times, I think that has an emotional impact,’ said Dr. Mark Stevens, Director of University Counseling Services.

Although the Counseling Center has seen an increase in students seeking assistence, the main reason has not been due to the economic downfall.

‘There are students who come in to talk about relationship stressors and academic stressors,’ Stevens said. ‘Although there have been a couple of students who come in to talk about not having a place to live, not having enough money to get enough food, but the economic numbers are not significant.’

Stevens said the Counseling Center is also seeing a real impact in terms of the kind of students who have to make some real significant changes because they’re not getting as much money from their parents, their hours are being cut at work, or they have lost their job.

Communications major Jason Pounds, 21, said the recession is going to affect him the most during summer since Valley College, where Pounds works, will be losing its funding in early July.

‘I’ve been looking for a job and everyone is under a hiring freeze,’ Pounds said. ‘It has affected my performance because now I am looking to save money for the summer so I work more hours and spend less time studying.’

Graphic design major Gabriel Bernard, 23, also stopped working because his job moved to Ohio. He said it was cheaper for his employers to continue operating and manufacturing there. Although this hasn’t significantly changed his performance in school it has made commuting to school more difficult.

‘There are some students who we’ve heard from that are thinking about their future, and what kind of jobs are going to be out there whether its two to three years down the road,’ Dr. Stevens said. ‘Students are wondering about how their making this pretty big investment being in college and how will it pay off for them.’

Students looking for a good job after college should be more flexible and willing to make a change, said Dr. Stevens, whether it means leaving family and friends to move out of the country.

Stevens said students should do what they can to take over the situation and write everything down of what they spend their money on and realize some things they may need to cut back on.

‘From a psychological standpoint it creates a little more sense of control over the situation,’ he said.

Pounds has applied this advice to his spending habits and has spent less money on materialistic things because he said he is now feeling the aftermath of his poor financial choices.

For Bernard he has eliminated frivolous spending and making sure that he takes care of necessities first.

‘It’s not only a time to reflect upon what students don’t have but what they do have,’ Stevens said. ‘Anytime there’s a threat of losing something it’s important to understand what one does have and take account for that.’
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