Put Fido on Your College Campus

As the summer turns to fall, parents of students about to venture off on their first college adventures are often a bit hesitant and nervous. I can tell you from experience as a former college student and current mom of college students, the first year of college can be very stressful as students adjust to fast-pace academic rigors, new responsibilities for daily activities, and life away from home and their previous support network.

The Journal of American College Health recently published two interesting studies about helping kids feel better connected and less stress as they go off to college. One study reported that students involved in collegiate athletics felt more connected and less depressed. The sports team provided a ready social support network important for college success. But what if your child is not interested in sports? Every college is overflowing with an amazing variety of extracurricular opportunities to help fill this role for your student. And some schools have even turned to Fido for help. As part of a student orientation program at Kent State University, incoming freshmen learned about opportunities for participating in pet therapy. Nine out of ten freshmen with pets at home indicated that pets were an integral part of daily life and provided comfort and support during times of stress. Dogs were seen as significantly more supportive during stress than cats. Although only four in ten students had previously heard about pet therapy as a volunteer opportunity, almost all of the freshmen reported being interested in participating in pet therapy after learning about this opportunity. Students overwhelmingly reported missing their pets at home, being interested in participating in pet therapy programs, and having pets visit their residence halls.

So, if there’s a soon-to-be college freshman in your life, encourage him or her to look into pet therapy opportunities at their college. And if you’re associated with a pet therapy program, check to see if you might enlist nearby college students in your program or visit students at local colleges for a needed stress buster for students missing their loved ones back home - including Fido!