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Mental Health
Have you struggled with mental health during undergrad?
Mental health is a serious concern for many students. A majority of those surveyed have mentioned struggling with mental health issues during their time in college. The university environment can often be a source of stress, anxiety, or other mental health problems. So, it's important to take care of yourself and support each other during challenging moments.
Have you ever experienced burnout?
Burnout is quite prevalent among our respondents, with most individuals indicating they have encountered it at some point. The consistent workload can easily lead to students feeling overwhelmed or emotionally exhausted. It's essential to recognize that these feelings are entirely normal and to prioritize allowing yourself breaks.
Have you ever been to therapy?
Many people mentioned they haven't tried therapy, but quite a few have either gone for it or thought about it. This shows that university life can be really tough, so it's crucial to reach out and use the resources available to take care of your mental and physical health!
Have you ever been to counselling?
Counseling is something that quite a few people have either tried or thought about. It's a reassuring sign that many students are open to getting help when they need it.
So, remember to take care of yourself, both mentally and emotionally – it's an important step in looking out for your well-being during your university journey.
Have you ever used UW Health Services for your mental health?
UW Health Services is a program that offers easily accessible medical services. It's wonderful to observe that a significant portion of our respondents have availed themselves of these services for their well-being. We encourage the continued utilization of these valuable resources in the future.
University life can be demanding, and seeking assistance from UW Health Services is a common and supportive choice. To schedule an appointment, you can reach out to them at (519) 888-4096 or email hsforms@uwaterloo.ca if phone booking is not convenient for you. Taking care of your health is a priority, and these services are here to assist you.
If so, how was your experience with UW Health Services?
Our respondents have expressed diverse opinions and provided feedback on their encounters with UW Health Services. The majority of respondents have given ratings falling within the 1-3 range
Overall, how would you rate your mental health over your entire undergraduate career?
In general, most respondents rated their mental health throughout their undergraduate career as a 3 or 4 out of 5. It's encouraging to note that the majority of scores are toward the higher end of the scale!
Please give any general comments about mental health in university.
Given the significant impact of mental health concerns in the university setting, a substantial number of our respondents have shared their thoughts on this matter.
Here, you will find some quotes from students that discuss how UW's environment influences students' mental health and offer suggestions for enhancing mental well-being.
you have to be happy with what you have and excited for the future. ie you, the world, your future all need to work together to not be depressed. It hit me because i never had a relationship and i feel unlovable - which I assume is a common feeling. So to stay happy you have to be happy for the things you do have, which, if you're here you definitely do
University can be a tough time, especially for such a tough program like UW CS. If you feel challenged, remember that it is normal and if you breezing through everything you aren't really learning anything. I know it's easier said than done, but comparison is the thief of joy.
Look for hobbies that you truly enjoy that have absolutely nothing at all to do with your major, and make friends through your hobbies.
waterloo needs better and actual QUALITY mental health resources
Good friends often lead to good mental health
One thing I struggled with with respect to my mental health is living by myself and establishing healthy patterns for myself. I noticed during covid that while I was living at home, it was easy for me to fall into the patterns my family has established. This helped my mental health while I was at home. However, when living by myself I had to re-discover for myself the importance of many of these habits and patterns before I was able to successfully manage my mental health. This is still a work in progress, but I am optimistic!
Always put mental health in the first place!!!
Reach out for help from the professors/instructional assistants. They are actually surprisingly accommodating and supportive. I wish I wasn't afraid to ask for extensions when I needed it earlier - the staff/lecturers actually really care.
Never compare yourself with others, don't get stressed from other people's achievements, focus on yourself.
When moving across the country, it's normal to feel lonely or homesick! Don't be afraid to call home or get counselling/therapy. Having/making friends in a similar situation can also help.
Talk to your friends about it. They might be going through the same thing and may need someone to talk to as well.
Seek help even if just considering it.
Tbh I think it was just realizing how messed up the world is. I certainly felt disillusioned after co-op showed me what the job market is really like and just realizing that things I did that I considered unethical actually got me ahead in life.
Personally, everything I strive for is in order to live happily. Keeping this in mind helps me prioritize my mental health.
Some people and profs are more understanding than others. Sometimes it's difficult to discuss mental health, even if doing so might be beneficial.
you have to actually work on it. I don't think it's that bad, just sleep well eat well exercise and for most people it falls into place. Watch your mentalities. I guess that's hard, but doable.
Please put your health as a priority and continue to reach out for help even if it feels like people are saying no to you. Make sure to reach out early and document your visits incase you ever need it for a petition.
It was better than high school because resources like Health Services felt more accessible once i had autonomy
Socialization helped to deal with the stress from study
Organize your day based on what activity drains your energy the most, and sleep
What do you do to help cope with your mental health issues?
Exercise, sleep, talk to friends + family, relax. When applicable, accept that losing X% on an assignment isn't going to impact my final mark or my life course in any meaningful way
I enjoy reading books on philosophy and psychology, as well as spending time reflecting on my priorities and outlook on life. While this helps me, I still get stuck in extremes sometimes and I tend to look for perspectives that support how I am feeling at the time. Hence, one of the most important things for me was talking to my partner when I was struggling. A critical perspective on my individual situation was the most effective at changing my view of my problems.
Indulged myself in my artistic endeavours, immersed myself in meaningful / challenging work, lift weights + sleep + eat well, and get support from friends / family.
Listen to music, walking alone
Do something that makes me happy and put annoying stuff aside for a bit
Hanging out with friends, exercising, playing games
Get outside more. Exercise more. Hang out with friends.
Hang out with friends/girlfriend
Go out for a walk.
Talked with friends/family, got counselling
Relax by reading, or to organize by concerns in a calendar or spreadsheet
Journal and exercise
Talking to someone (friends, family, therapist)
Sports, playing games with friends
Focus on good habits
Listening to cartoon women whisper empty words into my ears.
Eat spicy food, do sports, and cry.
Vitamin D is really important to keep yourself happy! Make sure to take Vitamin D supplements especially in the winter and go out for walks! I loved taking walks on sunny mornings in winter while listening to light music, it really improved my mental health!
Take a day off and treat myself to good food. Talking with friends.
Talk with friends, do chores/exercise (easy productive tasks), reduce school workload.
What do you think UW can do better to accommodate your mental health?
I would enjoy more materials available on how to balance work and leisure, and general philosophy on how to find meaning in life. While UW does have some online materials on this, they tend to be very generic ("make sure to take breaks"). I would prefer some events during orientation where graduate students/professors discuss their personal journey to find meaning in life and balancing different aspects of life.
I think the co-op system needs to be reworked so it's not just exploiting cheap labour. I also feel like a lot of the systems in place don't make you feel like a person, just a number. Administration ALWAYS gave me trouble with course selection but all of the problems would just be resolved in a day if I spoke with the professors directly. There are people who care, but the system is built so that YOU have to find them, and for people already struggling, this is a huge barrier to them getting help.
Provide more support and accommodations for students. Another important aspect is making those accommodations more easily accessible. It's hard to worry about that ontop to mental health issues.
Make mental health resources more accessible (have some guarantee to get a counsellor, make it easier to book an appointment, reduce wait times, etc).
Better counselling services
Send a message that even mild mental health problems like burnout and isolation deserve attention.
Hire profs that care about mental health issues
Good study environment, more student involvement, find good and professional instructors
Nothing, really. I think that UW inherently puts people under stress, but those stressful things are what most people come for. I can't comment on their services because I haven't used them. Don't rank engineering students though? That's toxic as hell.
Stop using the final 50%~100% marking scheme
provide quality services
Get more counselors and psychiatrists. People need actual medication.
Foster a better campus environment. We don't have a lot of comfortable lounging/kickback places on campus (especially in the winter) where people can go to bump into people, relax, and just kill an hour or two. As a result, we're all hanging out in our apartments or elsewhere which is usually smaller groups having some people left out. Just having those kinda spaces on campus would make a work of difference.
Expand the PAC gym so I don't have to wait 30 minutes for a deadlift platform.
Provide better communication, resources
more public pianos
Provide more free food to students to encourage them to go out and take a break.
Late days really help.
Therapy services
I think the school does ok honestly.
How much of an effect has imposter syndrome played in your university life?
The impact of imposter syndrome on university life is a concerning issue. When asked to rate its influence on a scale of 1 to 5, the majority of respondents selected 4 or 5, indicating that imposter syndrome has significantly affected their lives.
This highlights the need for greater awareness and support to help students address this syndrome and foster a greater sense of confidence in themselves.
What has been your experience with imposter syndrome?
Everything that I have achieved or been successful at has been the result of meticulous and many many years of sweat and blood. Why would I have imposter syndrome for things that I worked so hard to achieve? I earned it.
Occured after last coop when I didn't get a return offer for Full-Time employment. I feel like I'm not cut out for software dev. Haven't gotten over it yet
Occurred when I received high GPA, and I felt like I did not deserve it. However, the imposter syndrome usually went away in a couple days.
Many of my friends are (or appear) much higher achieving than me; I tend to get the lowest grades out of my group and I ended up at the "worst" company out of all of the friends in my group. However, I recognize that I am in a very small bubble and that in the grand scheme of things (at UW, at Waterloo, in Canada, or beyond) I am doing very well and I shouldn't compare myself to other people so much.
I sometimes doubt myself, but what helped me cope were the WICS panels where the successful panelists talked about their own experience with imposter syndrome.
I overcame it because I remembered I don't want a coding related job anyways lol
I transferred into CS in 2nd year with absolutely no coding experience. Most of my friends had been coding since high school, and everyone I met was super passionate about software. I think I overcame it by simply putting in the work (because I enjoyed the subject) and gaining more knowledge. Coop terms also helped a lot - I definitely grew the most as a software engineer at work.
The culture can sometimes be toxic. It's hard to get to know someone for the sake of knowing them; people are too focused on co-op and leetcode grinding.
I'm him. I've never felt like an imposter. I've felt bad at my job, and kind of dumb in some courses, but I'm a student or a coop. I'm there to learn, I can learn anything, and I can get better at anything. I earned my spot, I worked hard to get to where I am, I'm not an imposter.
I have achievements on paper but I don't feel like I deserve them or that they're meaningful.
I was academically strong in highschool but had no coding experience going into University.
I realized most other people are going through the same thing
I don't know a lot of things, but the more I observe the world around me, nobody around me really does either... except they are much more successful than me, so I'm clearly missing something.
I knew back in high school that I was never the best in school, In university, I realized there are even smarter students who are more capable. However, I don't think I was ever intimidated because I always focused on myself. I pursued my interest, explored where I want to be, and as university went on I had a clearer vision of it. For example, I realized half way through uni that I am more interested in product design rather than coding, so I built a portfolio and a personal website, switched my job search routines, then started working in UX/UI design. Some people would tell me “designers don't earn as much”, or “it's a waste of your CS degree, look at how others in your program are already getting dev offers from big tech firms”, etc. I am really glad I didn't get intimidated by these negative comments because I love my new job as a designer. The knowledge from my CS degree still comes in handy at work!
Throughout university, you will hear a lot about people getting offers from big Cali companies or the phrase “Cali or Bust” (which is not true, you can find good jobs anywhere!) Instead of listening to others, it's more helpful to just focus on yourself. I don't really feel imposter syndrome because I try to enjoy the most of my life including my job, and I am satisfied with where I am. I also think that everyone lives and grows at their own pace, sometimes we are so focused on others' achievements and tend to ignore our own growth. Last but not least, it's essential to keep a positive attitude. I try to see others' achievements more as ways to motivate myself. I believed in my own capabilities or at least I believe that if I keep trying, I will reach my goals eventually. And that really helped me throughout university.
One of my big insecurities is that I only get jobs because I'm a woman in CS and I'm not actually good enough and just there as a diversity hire
Think I was just placing too much of my self-worth into my grades, especially cause grades are such an easy concrete way you can compare yourself to your peers and feel less than. Truthfully, I think one of the big things I did was I just started being up front with myself and my friends about my weaknesses. It was when my grades were always a secret and a source of shame that I felt so horrible and my self esteem went down the drain. After I just started telling people the truth (parents and friends included) and just telling myself that it was okay that I wasn't the best student anymore as long as I was giving it my best, I just felt this huge burden being lifted off me. And in a weird way, once I accepted that it was okay that I wasn't the best when it came to studying for calculus tests or if certain topics didn't come easy to me, I was able to put that energy into actually learning and that's why I really saw my marks improve in my later uni years. Additionally, I just learned how to be patient with myself when learning and got better at setting study goals, organizing my time, and figuring out what studying techniques worked for me. So overall, I think what I learned over university is self-acceptance, patience, and learning how to feel confident even while being honest with myself and others about my shortcomings.
I've deliberately put myself in uncomfortable positions to grow, so I've experienced it in places like leadership roles. You overcome these things with practice and experience.
Trust yourself and focus on yourself; do not compete with others and do your best
It was very prevalent all the way until around halfway through my final co-op when I felt like I actually belonged where I was.
In first year, there were people who got really good co-ops (at the time). The people who worked at Wish, Google, Microsoft, or other US companies were all kind of mini celebrities in the CS circles. I think there's really no way to cope. Part of it is improving and working on yourself and part of it is accepting that there will always be people who are better.
Sometimes, it feels like I'm not good enough for something after seeing many students in the same year as me get good co-op and internships.
I realized most people feel similarly, but it's not outwardly visible. Everyone shows their best side in a professional setting. Also I'm at the beginning of my career. I have a lot of time to learn.
When I first got to university, I immediately realized that I'm now surrounded by individuals just as if not more capable, driven, and talented as I am. And I came to the conclusion that clinging on to the same high-school mindset of being "the best" is counterproductive and detrimental to mental health. Not sure if I can say I overcame it, but some ways that helped me through was to first ditch my ego and second understand that being surrounded by people smarter than me means I'm leading and improving myself, it means that I have much more to gain. However, eventually you will realize most if not all other people have the exact same feeling, they might feel that they aren't as capable as YOU are. So it is really helpful to talk to your friends and peers to gain an understanding of their perspective :).
Seeing numerous LinkedIn posts about people who bragged about their coop really made it worse. I overcame by talking to more people about it.