We are halfway through the semester, can you believe it? Many of my friends (and myself!) are facing many challenges as this school year starts to wind down. Worrying about career decisions, needing tools for projects, struggling in a course, or grappling with mental health issues.
Luckily, Miami offers so many resources to students. I’m here to give you a quick, digestible rundown of some services you should know about and take advantage of. Lets go!
The H.O.P.E. Line. The H.O.P.E. (Help Over the Phone Everywhere) line is available 24/7 for students to call for immediate support, crisis intervention, and stabilization from a licensed mental health counselor. It is a completely free service that can be accessed as many times as needed. The H.O.P.E. Line phone number is 855-249-5649. Take advantage of this extremely useful resource. Student mental health right now is in need of a boost, and the H.O.P.E. Line can help with that! Imagine how much lighter you’ll feel if you take a 20 min break from your homework to take a walk and make a call.
Important: While the H.O.P.E. Line is available anywhere, you can only take advantage of Miami’s telebehavioral health through the Student Counseling Service if you are physically located in Ohio (due to licensing regulations). Student Counseling Service has a system to help students find care in your state. Please don’t hesitate to engage with this service if you think it might be helpful for you. Personally, making time for counseling has changed my life and certainly helped me become a better student.
Career advising. I don’t know about you, but the job and internship hunt has been especially painful this year. Many students are reworking their resume countless times, trying to learn to use Linkedin as a tool, and (unfortunately) learning to embrace rejection. Upon admission to Miami, you are assigned to a Career Advisor. This decision is based on your major and/or chosen career cluster. Your advisor can provide individualized information and guidance during your career exploration. Career Advisors assists with:
- major exploration
- career exploration
- strategies for internship/job search
- interviewing techniques
- customized approach to mapping work preferences and passions
If you are struggling with career exploration right now, I encourage you to schedule an appointment with your Career Advisor! They are here to help you.
SafeRide. SafeRide is a service provided to help riders in the Oxford area safely get to their destination after dark. Hours of operation are expanding from 8:00pm to 3:00am Monday-Saturday and 7:00pm to 1:00am on Sunday (during Spring and Fall Semester). Miami works with BCRTA to offer students this FREE (!) service. SafeRide can be scheduled by calling 513-785-5237 or downloading the BGo App to schedule a ride.
Rinella Learning Center Self-Paced Programs. Through online workshops, you can access tons of content related to academic success skills and strategies. When you select a topic, you will be taken to a Canvas course site that will allow you to assess your own understanding, gain greater knowledge, and learn more about resources related to that particular academic success topic. All of this can be at your own pace, on your own time. Some of the topics I think are useful are Organizing Your Life, Managing Stress, and Motivation & Procrastination.
King Library Special Tools. Along with computers, printing, and a quiet space to work, there tons of other tools can be found at King. To name a few:
- AV recording and editing lab
- Virtual Reality and Data Visualization Lab
- Technology and computing equipment checkout
Want to make a podcast for a project? 3D print something? Temporarily access the Adobe Suite? You have access to all of this and more right within King. Visit their page or walk in and ask the front desk – they are happy to point you in the right direction!
SEAL Ambassadors. Have you ever wished there was someone who you could reach out to just to ask how the heck you can get more involved? Maybe you’ve attended Mega Fair and still feel lost, or you’ve been on campus for a while and still haven’t found your niche. Reach out to a SEAL ambassador. The Office of Student Activities has several SEAL Ambassadors (peer mentors) available to help students find their place at Miami, and to help student organizations make the Miami undergraduate experience the best in the nation. They double-dip and are practically experts on both fronts!
All of these and more are available to you as a Miami student. Never be afraid to ask for help – all the people involved with the services I mentioned above are ready and excited to allow you to accomplish your goals. You just need to take the first step. Courage!
Kathryn Moir | Marketing & IMS
