Any life transition, whether it is a positive or negative transition, brings with it the potential for stress. Each person’s capacity to cope with stress is widely variant, and for college students, this capacity can be revealed in the academic, social and emotional domains. Entering college is typically associated with excitement, anticipation and some nerves. Different situations can be stressful for different college students, depending on their past history and experience of finding coping skills to manage stress prior to starting college. A few tips for parents and family members who have a family member in college:

• Know the signs of stress - there are both emotional and physical symptoms of stress. As parents, you might only see one side to your college student once they leave for college but it’s important to know that most people experience stress both emotionally and physically.
  • Emotional signs of stress: feeling overwhelmed; becoming angry more quickly than usual; having trouble calming yourself down/relaxing; avoiding spending time with people; feelings of worthlessness/depression.
  • Physical signs of stress: headaches, lack of energy, stomach/body aches/pains, clenched jaw/teeth, cold/sweaty hands/feet, muscle tension.
• Remind your college student what has worked for them in the past to cope with stress. It can be helpful to remind your college student of other times in their life when they’ve experienced stress and how they’ve successfully found ways to cope. Our coping skills adapt and change depending on our environment so most college students will need to find new ways to cope with the emotional and physical impact of stress in their life, but getting support from parents goes a long way to encourage their progress!
• Lifestyle adjustments can go a long way to help us regulate our emotions and our capacity to cope with stressful events or environment. Most colleges provide opportunities for students, especially freshman, to learn healthy lifestyle skills including nutrition, sleep hygiene or time management. These opportunities can be found through a student’s Resident Advisor or events sponsored by Housing or Residential Life Offices.
• Know the resources available to your student. UAB provides all enrolled students with free counseling services through Student Counseling Services, based out of Student Health and Wellness. Students can gain coping skills for stress, talk about healthy ways to manage overwhelming emotions, and get professional support if they’re experiencing a crisis.

Normalize the experience. It can be so helpful for someone experiencing distress to know that they’re not alone in their experience! If you, as a parent or family member, have experienced stress in a similar way to your college student, express it! Share what’s worked for you in the past. Even if you cannot relate completely to their experience, expressing empathy can have a positive impact!