It is an exciting time at BU with Student Services rolling out a bunch of new workshops for students to partake in.
Counselor Martha Harris with Student Services, who is running the workshops together with her colleague Sherry Sawatzky-Dyck, says that in total there are five workshops that run throughout October and into November.
The first bunch relate to anxiety and how to properly cope and manage it. The Test Anxiety Workshop Series has 3 sessions that all run out of room 002 in the McKenzie building. The first session was on Wednesday, October 4th at 10:30 am with the second session occurring on Wednesday, October 11th at 10:30 am and the final session rapping up on Wednesday, October 18th at 10:30 am as well. Harris explains that there is also another set of anxiety workshops.
The Anxiety Toolbox presents four tools to manage anxiety across four sessions. The sessions take place on October 16th, 23rd ,30th and November 6th from 5:00-6:30 pm in room 5 in the McKenzie building. Harris explains that one workshop helps combat a problem many are all to familiar with, not enough sleep.
"The people that we have talked to aren't getting very rested up" explains Harris who says that their Sleep Hygiene workshop will assist people in their sleeping habits. She states they will be teaching a variety of skills. "We are helping people learn some skills on how to get a better night sleep."
The workshop takes place on October 17th starting at 12:40 pm in room 005 in the McKenzie building. Student services is also offering a series of stress management workshops. Harris states that these four sessions will each teach a single step to students on how to better manage the stress in their lives. The sessions will be taking place on October 18th and 25th as well as November 1st and 8th from 5:00-6:30 pm in room 002 inside the McKenzie building.
The final series of workshops has to do with couples and Harris explains it’s a new idea at BU. "This is the first time we are offering a couples retreat. Both parties don't have to be part of Brandon University, only one in order to participate."
Harris also adds that the description of a couple is left up to students saying that people who are married, dating or even just living together all qualify. The workshops run on October 20th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm, October 21st from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and October 22nd from 9:00 am till noon. Couples must attend all three sessions and there is a $25.00 cost to cover a book which will be used in the workshop. Overall Harris says she is hopeful that a lot of people will attend.
"My Hope is that a lot of people will come out." Harris goes on saying why she believes these workshops are valuable to the BU student body." Students will say to me I'm really struggling with this or I would like more information on that."
She states that that knowledge comes from a variety of sources." It might be from students in our counselling appoints or it might be from our faculty and staff." To conclude Harris states one of the most important factors of the workshops is confidentiality.
"The information that students share within these sessions is confidential. At the beginning of the workshops we discuss confidentiality." If students would like further information about the workshops happening here at BU they can contact the Student Services office at 204-727-9737 who will direct them to the appropriate people.