While the majority of our self-care tools are aimed at the general student population, some are designed for students with specific characteristics. If you recognize yourself in any of the profiles below, you’ll have access to tools that are relevant to your situation.
Athlete
Student-athletes have to deal with study challenges, and with the demands and pressures of their sport. Performance stress, injury management, identity search as an athlete and schedule management all have an impact on their well-being.
Graduate studies and research
Being a graduate student sometimes means having to cope with a particular study context, social isolation or a heavy workload related to teaching, research, and assignments. These stress factors are often compounded by the financial responsibilities of a job, dependent children, or family.
Sexual and gender diversity
A significant number of students from diverse sexual and gender backgrounds go through the process of coming out while studying in Higher Education. This is an important period in identity development that can, for some time, generate anxiety and stress.
International
The specific integration and adaptation challenges faced by international students are a major source of stress. These include the language barrier, culture shock, adapting to new teaching methods, finding the right support in their host country, and rebuilding social networks.
Visible or ethnic minorities
Students from visible and ethnic minorities, particularly black communities, experience or are likely to experience racism, racial profiling or microaggressions on campus. This type of experience can influence their sense of belonging and their day-to-day well-being.
Parent
Students who are parents face additional responsibilities that can affect their studies and their mental health. Managing daily schedules and unforeseen events undoubtedly adds extra stress to their student lives.
Indigenous
For many First Nations students, studying to become a teacher means moving to larger cities, moving away from their support network, economic constraints, and losing their cultural and social bearings. These are all issues that add stress to student life.
Disability and neurodiversity
Students with disabilities or neurodiversity represent a population with very different profiles. What they have in common, however, is that they have to cope with additional demands linked to their physical and/or psychological conditions, which represent a major challenge in their student journey.
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