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Nervous about starting at Michigan State? Worried about your class schedule, living away from home, or where to even start? The Spartan Orientation Station (SOS) is a podcast hosted by New Student Orientation staff and was created by students for students. This podcast will launch twice a week throughout the summer, and each episode will feature a unique interview with campus departments discussing their services, common misconceptions, and fun Spartan engagement opportunities. When you need help at Michigan State, it is okay to signal SOS! Don’t worry – MSU is there for you.
You're listening to the Spartan Orientation Station on Impact eighty nine FM, the podcast by students for students. Now this week's episode.
Karla C.:Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the Spartan Orientation Station. I am your graduate assistant here at the new student orientation office, Karla Cortez, and I'm joined by my lovely cohost.
Aniyah T.:Aniyah, and I'm a Student Coordinator with the NSO office.
Luca C.:Luca, I'm also a Student Coordinator.
Dr. Alexis Travis:And today we're joined by our guest. I'm Doctor. Alexis Travis. I'm Assistant Vice President and Assistant Provost for University Health and Well-being here at MSU.
Aniyah T.:Thank you so much for joining us to talk about well-being. So, just to get right into it, what are some of the well-being challenges students face when starting college?
Dr. Alexis Travis:Well, thank you so much for having me. I mean, coming into college is, you know, there's a lot going on. Students are navigating classes, having deadlines, meeting new friends, also having to take care of your own meals, your laundry maybe for the first time. So that's a lot to navigate. Some of the challenges people face are around maybe considering sleep as optional and rest as something that needs to be earned.
Dr. Alexis Travis:And we all know that that's not true, right? Your body needs sleep to be able to function. You need to be able to fuel your day by having enough food, healthy food, good nutrition, and then getting enough movement, you know, physical activity, moving your body, all of those things are really important and then making time to recharge. When you're feeling overwhelmed, not waiting until it's at that critical state, right, to reach out and ask for help or to access services. At University Health and Wellbeing, we're really tasked with supporting the university community and many of our programs and services are free, low cost or no cost and so we just encourage students to reach out when they are experiencing those challenges because we are here to help and support along the way.
Luca C.:Why is self care so important for students and preventing burnout?
Dr. Alexis Travis:Students are dealing with so much in terms of what's happening globally, what's happening locally, and then also what's happening in their own lives day to day. If you think about your cell phone, right? It's not going to run on 2% for the whole day. Our body is kind of the same way. If we don't take that time to fuel our bodies, to eat, to make sure we're spending time with people who energize us, and in community, so we're not on our own, those things all count.
Dr. Alexis Travis:What, you know, balances one person and connects another person is not going to be the same. And I'm not talking about saying, Oh, I need to rest, and then spending three hours scrolling on TikTok or Instagram. I'm guilty. I don't know about anybody else. But really making time to get outside, take a break, engage in a university community.
Dr. Alexis Travis:It's really about taking moments to step away, to do the things that recharge you, to make you feel yourself. It's not optional. It's actually a critical part of student success.
Aniyah T.:What advice would you give to students who are hesitant to ask for help or use campus support resources?
Dr. Alexis Travis:I think oftentimes as students, you look around and you think, everybody knows what they're doing and they've got it figured out. And that's not the case. Even folks who look like they're fully up and running don't always have it figured out. And so everybody's waiting for somebody else to ask a question or to say, I don't know about this. We want students to reach out and it's not a sign of weakness.
Dr. Alexis Travis:It actually means that you're engaged and you care about being successful. You could reach out to CAPS and Center for Survivors if you need counseling services, and those are always provided free. At our Olin Health Center, we provide primary care services, gynecology and other clinics. You get three subsidized or free visits per academic year if you're an MSU enrolled student. We have our Spartan Shelf locations on campus.
Dr. Alexis Travis:Students can come in and they can get free food supplies so that they're not having to worry about being hungry for their next meal while also trying to study because that's actually impossible. And we really want folks to use them to reach out. We are always looking for how can we do better to meet our students' needs.
Luca C.:How can students step outside their comfort zones and build a sense of connection and belonging on campus?
Dr. Alexis Travis:Coming to MSU, it's a large university. We have our own systems, we have our own languages, our acronyms, and I think a lot of the time, students are wanting others to make the first move or to introduce themselves. And I think one thing people can do is boldly step forward and maybe sit next to somebody that you don't know during a class and talk to them before the class starts. Know, introduce yourself, ask questions about them, learn about them. You'll find areas of connection.
Dr. Alexis Travis:Go to events on campus. There are so many events and so many opportunities for connection. Even if you don't know somebody going to the event, just show up. Be willing to be open and connect with other people. So many different areas that you can get involved.
Dr. Alexis Travis:Join a club. I would say for building connection, those are some of the ways that our Spartans can do that.
Aniyah T.:What are some important ways students can look out for these new friends they're making or even each other when it comes to overall well-being?
Dr. Alexis Travis:I think there's so much information out there about students and you know, what you see on social media. And that doesn't always align with the reality of being on a campus like MSU. When it comes to looking out for each other, it comes down to number one, setting your own personal boundaries. Good friends will always respect that. You don't have to drink.
Dr. Alexis Travis:We often survey our Spartans and in our recent data from the National College Health Assessment we saw that ninety six percent of Spartans are okay if their friends choose not to drink. And then small things like texting and making sure, hey, are you okay? That can really make a difference in somebody's day. That little prompt might, you know, cause somebody to be able to reach out and say, Hey, I'm really struggling with this, or, Hey, can you come over? And those types of things.
Dr. Alexis Travis:The other thing I would say is think about the things in your life now that you're enjoying and the things that provide meaning and purpose to you and look for ways to extend that into your university career as well.
Karla C.:Alright, well thank you so much for joining us. These were some wonderful tips. I'm sure they'll be super useful to our incoming class and I appreciate listening to them as well.
Dr. Alexis Travis:Thank you for having me.
Narrator:MSUNSO.