College means new freedoms and new opportunities, but making the transition to college isn’t easy, especially for students with mental illness. Classes will be harder, and students must plan ahead to study. There will be new stressors, such as living with a randomly-assigned roommate. All these things can impact mental health.
Picking the Right School
Students with mental illness can plan ahead when applying to colleges. Here are some things to consider when choosing a college.
- Location. Some students attend college close to home and commute to classes. This eliminates the disruption of moving and may be the best choice for students who are unsure about going far from home.
- Size. Smaller schools may feel less overwhelming and offer smaller classes and a stronger sense of community. Larger schools generally offer a wider array of health services and housing options.
- Living situation. On-campus dormitory housing provides a high level of social support but typically places first-year students with roommates. Students may be permitted a single room if they can provide sufficient medical documentation. Other options are off-campus housing and living at home.
- School resources. On-campus health clinics and counseling offices offer services for dealing with everyday concerns such as relationship conflicts, adjusting to college, and academic issues. They may limit counseling to a dozen or fewer appointments. On-campus resources are a good place to start when a student develops a mental health problem, but they probably won’t be able to provide long-term help. The counselors can help students find a long-term therapist or doctor in the community.
- Community resources. Students who see a doctor or therapist may want to find a new one closer to school to provide therapy or monitor medication, or consider remote tele-therapy.
Preparing for College
Going to college means big academic and social changes all at once. To minimize the stress of change, consider gradually transitioning to campus life. This may mean starting off at a local community college to ease into new academic demands. Following that, a student can transfer to a four-year college for harder classes and a more social environment. If a student wants to attend college out of state, they may want to live with a supportive family friend or relative when classes begin.
Students with a mental health diagnosis or learning disability may have been entitled to special education services in secondary school, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Upon graduation, they leave that IEP (Individualized Education Program) behind and enter into the college’s unique system for accommodating disabilities.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires colleges to make “reasonable accommodations,” but the students themselves bear responsibility for asking for and planning those “reasonable accommodations.” Students must show records and medical information, and discuss the accommodations that will help.
Professionals from high school can help students develop college plans. Students who receive special education services under IDEA are entitled to transition planning from the high school. This process will help them identify post-secondary education goals and prepare to request accommodations from college. Transition planning should include the following:
- Learning about college academic requirements and the services that might support health and academic growth
- Developing the ability to describe their disability/ illness and its impact on learning
- Thinking ahead about the accommodations that will be most useful
- Collecting and organizing documentation to show the college that they are entitled to disability accommodations
Before leaving high school, students should request a Summary of Performance, which describes academic achievement and functional performance to date. It should also describe current and past services and supports and include recommendations for future accommodations.
Disclosing Mental Health Conditions
If a student believes they may need help from the school, they should ask before they face any serious challenges with classes. Begin the process early.
Students should disclose disability/illness only to people who need to know. This means those involved in the accommodation process, such as disability resource center staff, an academic advisor, or an admissions officer. Students may be discouraged from disclosing to faculty because of student confidentiality issues.
Asking for Accommodations
To get accommodations, a student must tell the school about the mental health condition. Every college has its own procedures on how to obtain services. A typical process for obtaining accommodations looks like this:
Identify what is needed. The student themself knows best the kinds of accommodations that will help. If they currently receive special education services, the high school’s IDEA-mandated transition planning will help assemble a list of needs.
Register with the disability resource center. To be eligible for accommodations, students need to register with the school’s disability resource center or disabilities office. Often, the disability resource center will offer a selection of services to choose from.
Provide documentation. The college disability resource center will expect students to document the mental health condition. Generally, a recent IEP or 504 plan is not considered adequate documentation. Students will likely need to have the following:
- Documentation showing the diagnosis
- Types of academic accommodations that have worked in the past
- Types of academic accommodations the student anticipates needing in college
- A description of how the disability/ illness can contribute to success in college
- A description of how the student’s ability to learn and study effectively is impacted
Receive and Review Accommodations
Once a student has requested specific accommodations, the school may approve their request or offer an alternative accommodation if it is more effective. Students should expect the college to work with them to identify appropriate supports. If an accommodation isn’t working, contact the disability resource center as soon as possible.
What Kind of Help Can the Student Expect?
The accommodations will depend on how much help the student needs and what the college is able to provide. Students are expected to learn from the same curriculum and master the same content as other students. But the following common accommodations can help:
- Arranging for priority registration
- Reducing course load
- Substituting one course for another
- Providing transportation services
- Allowing note takers and recording devices
- Allowing the student to work from home
- Extending time for testing
- Extending deadlines for assignments
- Tutoring
- Mentoring
- Study skills training
- An individual room for taking exams
- Allowing the student to change rooms or roommates
Tips for Succeeding in School
Maintain and build support systems. Connections with friends and family at home provide much-needed stability.
Monitor symptoms. A short, daily record of key symptoms such as mood and anxiety levels can help students notice if symptoms are getting worse. College can make it hard to stay on a regular schedule, which in turn makes it hard to notice changes in eating or sleep patterns. If symptoms steadily worsen, don’t wait to consult a doctor or therapist.
Maintain healthy habits. Exercising, eating a balanced diet, and getting 7-9 hours of sleep will give students more energy and focus, and keep them emotionally resilient.
Avoid drugs and alcohol.
Reduce academic stress. Using academic supports such as study groups, tutors, and the campus writing center can make classwork easier and provide much-needed encouragement
Learn more about mental illness. Colleges sometimes offer students support groups for mental illness and stress management.
Adapted from the NAMI Guide, Managing a Mental Health Condition in College. Click here to read the full NAMI guide, Managing a Mental Health Condition in College.
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