While many consider college as a time of excitement and discovery, it is also a time of stress and anxiety. The amount of work that students have to do in and out the classroom, in addition to possibly a parttime job, can lead to students struggling with depression, sadness and even suicidal thoughts. Research performed at the University of Texas surveyed 737 students, and their research showed that nearly 50% of the students surveyed had at least some level of suicidal thoughts.

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This survey shows that many students struggle with their mental health, and shows that universities ought to be doing more to help these students.

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College is supposed to be some of the best years that a person can ever have, but with all the stress that comes along with it, one’s time in college can be exactly the opposite. Even worse, college can be the last few years of one’s life. This should not be the case, and if more schools raise awareness for this important issue, more can be done to stand against it.

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A good place for schools to start would be to ensure that students are aware of their options. While many colleges do offer options for students to receive help with their mental health, many students can go through college without ever knowing what these programs specifically are. Even if these are the best programs ever, the students cannot participate in them if they do not know they exist.

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Thus, it is important for schools to take the wellbeing of their students seriously and to make sure that their students know that they care. There are a number of ways for schools to go about this, including hosting events, putting up posters across campus or including psychological treatments as one of the options available for students. Including a comprehensive campus suicide prevention program will also go along way in helping the students at the school.

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A research study demonstrated that teachers can play an integral role in detecting students who are experiencing low mental health, and can help the students get the help that they need. The study notes that the councilors, social workers and administrators of the school relied on the teachers to alert them of any concerning behavior that a student might have during the class. In some cases, the teachers would approach the student and personally ask them if they were holding up ok, and they were able to help the struggling student find help.

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Schools taking actions like this are what more colleges need to be doing. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, and if more schools start to take more action against suicide, they can make their campus a better place for learning and give college students a better experience. College is intended to be some of the best years of a student’s life, and schools should make sure that it is through taking a stand against suicide and offering students the proper care that they need.