Welcome to Wellness

FLU Season is HERE!

Get your FLU vaccine as soon as possible; we are taking appointments at the SHU Student Health Services center now.

 Student Health Services/Wellness department is once again coordinating with SHU HR department and many other campus divisions to provide our campus with an ANNUAL FALL Health Fair, introducing a variety of services for all.  This year’s Health Fair is scheduled for Thursday October 13 in University Commons from 11am until 2pm.  Watch for E-mail blasts in the upcoming week. Many community agencies are joining us for this event.  Food, fun and freebies abound.  Stop by and pick up some goodies.  Warm yourself with some hot cider or nutritious soup. We will have something for everyone.  Anyone can purchase their FLU vaccination for $20.00 at the Health Fair, and those doing so will be entered in a raffle to win a gift card from a local vendor.

Student Health Services is booming with business.  Unfortunately, there are many germs out there gravitating towards the possibly overwhelmed student body.  Late nights, poor eating, and stress make you an ideal host for germs and illness. The nurses and practioners are booked solid at this time of the year, and Fall 2011 is no exception. The staff is diagnosing and treating student illnesses with gusto.  If you feel ill, call and make an appointment (203-371-7838) early in the day to ensure no delay in treatment.  Remember that once filled, we will book you for next available, most likely an appointment on the next day’s schedule, or we may refer you to our collaborative service provider (ST. Vincent’s Urgent Care) center. We are here to serve and are doing everything possible to see all cases daily.  Hours are Mondays through Fridays 9am-5pm with evening hours on Mondays and Tuesdays until 8pm.

Stay well!

Fall is in the air; classes are in full swing and while it may be sad that summer is over there is nothing like getting into the school spirit and watching a Sacred Heart football game! This weekend is homecoming, a time for undergrads, alumni, friends, family and the community to mingle and show our school spirit.
Do you know how homecoming started? Actually, the tradition dates all the way back to 1911. The athletic director and football coach of Missouri University, Chester Brewer, challenged former MU students to “come back home” to Missouri for the annual football game against the University of Kansas, their biggest rival. Former students came from all different states to watch the game and show their loyalty to their alma mater. Ever since then, schools all over the U.S. have been honoring the tradition, and Homecoming is still going strong today.

Whether you are new to Sacred Heart or a returning student put on your Sacred Heart gear, meet new people and don’t forget to go to the big game! Stay safe and have fun!
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Homesickness

We are pleased to announce the official kick-off of our Homesickness Support Group at the Counseling Center!  If you are interested in connecting with other SHU students who feel like you do, please call the Counseling Center at 203-371-7955 or e-mail Jocelyn Novella at novellaj@sacredheart.edu.  Meetings will be held weekly.

In the meantime, here is what older SHU students have shared with us that helped them cure the homesick blues:

 Get those feelings out!  Talk to a trusted friend, family member, s.w.e.e.t. Peer Educator or your RSA. It's often beneficial to talk openly about your feelings instead of keeping them bottled up.  If that feels too uncomfortable, make an appointment at the Counseling Center to talk with an experienced counselor.

 Get involved! Volunteer or join a club or student organization. SHU offers many programs on campus that are an excellent way to meet other students and help you be a part of the SHU community. A busier schedule will also help you focus on the present instead of what or who you may be missing back home.

 Make an effort!  Attend student activities and events. Say hello to someone in your class, in your dorm or around campus.  Chances are they will appreciate that you made an effort. 

 Get moving! Exercise generally helps to improve your well-being and reduces negative feelings relating to adjusting to your new life. 

 Think positive! Practice keeping a positive attitude.  Focusing on the negative aspects of your new life will not do anything except bring you down.

 Communicate in moderation to home!  The more you call, facebook, or text your family and friends from home, may prolong your homesickness. Frequent contact can also distract you from building a new life at SHU. 

Give it time!  It is perfectly normal for anyone to adjust to a major life change and a new environment. For many of you, it is the first time that you ever lived apart from your family and close friends. Realize things are different now but that it is ok.

 

Missing Summer Already?

Upperclassmen:  Missing summer? Missing those days with not much on your schedule?

Transitioning back to college is not an easy thing to do.  Even if you worked for much of the summer, the academic schedule is very different; you have more free time and need better time management skills to organize that extra time.  Here are some time management tips from the s.w.e.e.t. peer educators: organize (make a to-do list), prioritize (check due dates, look at complexity of assignment), and plan (create a schedule for your day, week, semester).  Also look for information about time management workshops offered by the Jandrisevits Learning Center in the library.

First-year students:  are you missing home?  Not so sure you're ready for this college thing?

It's ok, you're not the only one.  If this is your first-year here, you may wonder if it is normal to miss family as much as you do or to spend all your time texting your high school friends.  It may seem that everyone around you has already adjusted to SHU while you are sitting in your room feeling lonely. 

First, you are not the only one!  It is perfectly normal for students to feel homesick when they go away to college.  Last year's freshman poll during the 1st month of school showed that 68.5% of first-year students had symptoms of homesickness.  If you want to work on connecting with other homesick students, e-mail Jocelyn Novella at novellaj@sacredheart.edu.   She will contact you about the "Now that you're here..." group. 

Whether you are an upperclassman or freshman, you can click on the link below to get an appt. at the Counseling Center--https://www.sacredheart.edu/pages/2852_contact_us_form.cfm.