Our community of adult students is diverse, with our students having an array of experiences and backgrounds. While typically adult students are characterized by being outside of the typical college age range of 18-22, there is much more that defines our adult students, including having experiences that differ from those of a stereotypical college student. Some examples of our adult students include, but are not limited to:
- Individuals (regardless of age) who are raising children with or without a partner
- Individuals (regardless of age) who are caring for a family member who is elderly, significantly ill, and/or has a disability
- Older individuals who are returning to college to further their career or begin another career
- Individuals who are attending UNC Charlotte full time, as well as working full time
Colleges and universities are seeing a steady increase of adult students. At Counseling & Psychological Services we strive to provide support for our adult students, in conjunction with our campus partners. We recognize and celebrate the resilience that adult students possess, particularly given many of the challenges that are present in their lives. However, we also recognize that our adult students can experience distress just like any other student. In fact, at times this distress may be more intense given their greater responsibilities and expected adjustments, and it may be more difficult for them to obtain the support they need and deserve.
Common difficulties include feeling isolated, balancing family/work responsibilities with academic responsibilities, and adjusting to differences in course requirements and use of technology when returning to school. And even if other people are supportive, they may not be able to fully “get” what adult students are going through.
Counseling and Psychological Services offers all students a free and confidential initial consultation with a clinician to determine services most appropriate for the needs of the student. Among our services are psycho-educational workshops/groups including, but not limited to:
- Graduate Student Support group
- Increasing Productivity: Managing Procrastination workshop
- Coping with Anxiety and Living Mindfully (CALM) workshop
- Getting Unstuck from Depression workshop
- Building Better Relationships workshop
Please see our website for an updated list of our group and workshop offerings.