5 Steps to US Study: All about physical and mental health

This week, we will be discussing the final part of “Step 5: Prepare for Your Departure,” Physical and Mental Health

Hello readers! In last week’s column, we discussed U.S. academic culture and what that entails for students in the United States. This week, we will be discussing the final part of “Step 5: Prepare for Your Departure,” Physical and Mental Health.

U.S. institutions will usually have a medical center for students. There, they will treat students with illnesses and injuries. However, if the student has a severe health emergency, they will likely be referred to a local hospital/clinic. If a student needs a pharmacy, there should be one on or nearby their campus.

Remember that some medications require a prescription. If there is a medical emergency, calling 9-1-1 (U.S. emergency services) is advisable.

Medical care in the U.S. tends to be expensive, hence the health insurance requirement. When choosing a health insurance plan, carefully examine the differences between them to ensure maximum value and remember that the “best policy” may change from person to person.

Some institutions require students to buy institution-specific coverage rather than coverage from an external provider. In this case, university health insurance plans will be available and will generally be cost-effective.

Mental health is just as important as physical health. As students continue their studies, the workload may seem overwhelming. It’s equally important to take health breaks as it is to study.

If schoolwork seems to be the only activity in a student’s life, they should try to balance their daily lives. Students may join an extracurricular activity, eat a healthier diet, or join an intramural sport.

To ensure campus safety, institutions have campus police, alert systems, and dorm security systems. While these systems may be in place, students should still exercise caution when interacting with strangers and avoid engaging in late-night and high-risk activities.

As is necessary during a pandemic, students should continue to observe Covid-19 safety protocols as per their institution’s rules. Students should monitor both their graduate school’s guidelines and those of the CDC. The former can be found on the institution’s website.

We wish all incoming international students a happy and healthy higher learning experience!

Next week, we will wrap up our discussion on EducationUSA’s “5 Steps to U.S. Study.”

— US Consulate General Hyderabad