Key points

Being realistic about your student’s mental health diagnosis will only help in college.

Many students with mental health issues will benefit from a less than full time college schedule.

Flexibility about each semester may be helpful, as an illness can look different over time.

I believe it should become a “best practice” that students with a mental illness diagnosis balance their academic plan, including course load, with their everyday wellness practices.

In my 20 years as a college mental health counselor, I saw many students who believed that they had to be a full-time student, even at the cost of their health. And when they needed to drop a class, or withdraw for a semester, they were very hard on themselves and felt like a failure. There is a better way.

Denial is no

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