I would like to tell you a story about a friend of mine.

 

Earlier this year my friend was scheduled for a surgery, so he wanted to speak with a counsellor because he was stressed out about having to take time off from his program. What he was told didn’t help, as he was told that the next open appointment was a full month away – two weeks after his operation. Many students have told me similar stories about counselling wait-times.

 

We should have better access to counsellors on campus, so they’re available to students like my friend when they need support. We are all studying at BCIT to begin a career when we graduate, but while we’re in our programs, it can be a really stressful experience.

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Counselling services should be extended into the evening, because right now, they’re 8:30AM to 4:30PM Monday to Friday. If you’re a busy student (which we all are), then you often have to skip classes just to see a counsellor, and if you’re in that position it only adds more stress to your life.

 

I understand that not everyone is in a place right now where they need to speak with a counsellor, but it might be your friend or your classmate who is.