This week, N.C. A&T students will participate in their first wellness day of the semester. After a Fall semester in which mental health took a toll on many students, many are looking forward to the various on campus activities.

This Friday, the university partnering with the Office of Career Services will have many activities and events for students to partake in to help destress and focus on things other than academics. 

Tiffany Cyrus, a freshman biology student, is very excited about the many activities taking place on campus as her rigorous course load does not allow for much time off. 

“I will do some of the activities like the Kahoot trivia, Uno, and go to the food trucks. Sometimes I think my major does impact my mental health, but it definitely gets hard to manage at times,” Cyrus said.

Having wellness days throughout the semester allows students to reset and start off a new week with a restart. On wellness day, all classes are canceled and students are given time to devote their energy to other things that put the mind at ease.

Jodi Goins, a freshman mechanical engineering student, knows how it feels to need a restart with her strong workload. Goin talks about how this mental health day can help improve short-term mental health.

“I think a lot of people are stressed with school work and extracurricular activities and it might give them a day to relax, hang out with friends, and reset also which I think will help some. As for long-term mental health, I think students will be right back where they used to be the next school day,” Goins said. 

Last semester there was only one wellness day, and students noticed the difference in their mental health.

Samuel Standard, a freshman mechanical engineering student, wanted to participate in the activities last semester but was not able to do it the way he would have hoped. 

Engineering students are faced with a heavy workload and spend a lot of time working on their studies.

“If there would have been more wellness days last semester, I would have spent more time doing things that brought me joy rather than stressing over my work due later,” Standard said.

This semester, students have high hopes for their mental health as there are now more wellness days which makes for more opportunities to take time for their mental state.

Ga’Kiaya Anderson, a freshman finance student, was worried about her academic success based on her mental health last semester. She is glad to see that the university is taking a step to prioritize students’ well being. 

“I started off this semester so anxious due to the academic struggles I faced last semester,” Anderson said. “I think two wellness days spread across the semester is a good amount because it gives me time to take time for myself and take a break from my consistently busy schedule.” 

Mental health and well-being is a rising topic across the nation. It is important that all Aggies take time to listen to their mind and body. 

Mikalei Miller, a freshman psychology student, says that these constant conversations about mental health can help people be exposed to resources and knowledge. 

“I feel that having open and honest mental health conversations with a trusted adult, or even by yourself will allow students to get  more comfortable when it comes to sharing their own mental health struggles. Creating a space of vulnerability is crucial for helping students to cope with mental health challenges,” Miller said. 

At N.C. A&T, wellness is not merely alleviating the body of disease or infirmity, it is a state of complete physical, mental and social well–being. Visit the Aggie Wellness webpage for more information.  To stay up to date on upcoming wellness days visit the calendar found on the N.C. A&T website.