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A Letter to New CSU Students:

Welcome to the CSU Family! I would like to especially welcome you to this fun, exciting chapter in your lives. I have watched two sons successfully navigate college and reach that milestone of graduation and I have a daughter who is a rising sophomore here at CSU. College can be a time of growth and change and can give you a solid foundation for the future. As a college freshman, you may be quite excited about the future, and yet you may also be a little apprehensive.

You probably expect that adjusting to a new dorm room will be a challenge- coordinating shower times with four other females! You may be nervous about sharing a room with strangers. You may be concerned about classes. Or you may be excited to be able to leave home and experience a little freedom. All of these feelings are normal!

Some changes will be unexpected—like returning home for a visit. Home will not be the same. Things will change and adjustments will have to be made on both sides. Your parents may redecorate your room and get used to the reduced noise level at home. It is not that they do not love you, they are just coping with the changes! You will want to be a kid again and enjoy the pampering, but you will also expect to be treated like an adult. So the next few years will be a challenge for you and for your parents to learn to relate in new ways as adults.

I cannot say exactly what your experience will be like because each experience is unique. In general, college is a time of transition and you may face various challenges. There may be times when you miss your friends and family and think that you have made a bad decision in leaving home. You may find it hard to adjust to new rules and new social networks. You may find that balancing studies and fun is harder than you thought. No one will be looking over your shoulder to make sure that you are keeping up with assignments. You will be treated as an adult and given responsibility for your coursework—scary thought! College can present a unique set of stressors and many students find that they need to talk with someone from time to time to gain some perspective on their particular situation.

Please know that we are here to help you. CSU offers counseling services free of charge to all students. We help students with personal counseling issues such as loneliness, relationship difficulties, career decisions, depression, anxiety and spiritual questions. We believe that wellness is achieved when the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of a person are all functioning properly. If you think that you would benefit from these services, please call or go online to request an appointment. You can call the counseling line at 863-8010 or log onto our website at www.csuniv.edu/counseling . We offer professional counseling services that are confidential so that you can ask for help and know that your information will not be shared with anyone except in legally mandated incidences where a student is in immediate danger to himself or others.

CSU Counseling Services UPDATES:

· New Location. We are in Russell West 2nd floor in the ROTC hallway to the left of the study lounge.

· CSU will be participating in Rock the Block on Saturday, September 23 from 9pm-1am in downtown Charleston. CSU students will join students from the College of Charleston, Trident Technical College, and The Citadel for free food, games, bands, a climbing wall, and more.

· CSU will participate in the National Depression Screening Day on Thursday, October 5th from 11am-3pm in the CSU Gold Room. We will offer free, confidential screening/ information about depression and food and prizes!

· Walk-in Clinic. Plans are underway to offer a time for walk-ins so that students can stop by for a short evaluation and receive immediate feedback and make an appointment for follow-up. Details TBA.

· Counseling Center Open House on Wednesday, August 30th from 10am-2pm. ALL students are invited! Please drop in and see your new Counseling Center and meet our friendly, professional staff. Light refreshments will be served.

As the last few weeks of summer fade away, take time to prepare for your new adventure at CSU. Enjoy those last few days of sleeping in til noon. Enjoy some quality time with your family and friends. Come to CSU prepared to learn and grow. Please know that CSU Counseling Services- along with all of the Student Services Division and the entire CSU Family- look forward to having you join the CSU family. We are here to help so stop by and meet our friendly, professional staff.

I look forward to meeting you on move-in day!

Sincerely,

Glenda K. Hill Nanna, MA/LPC