There are typically a standard of things that you can always find on college campuses. One of those things is a health center that is available to students. Sometimes, health centers on college campuses get a bad reputation for just being a health center on a college campus. While it may seem like going to the health center on your campus is some daunting task, it really isn’t! Here are four reasons you should utilize your college’s health center.
1. You pay for it.
(Photo by Pina Messina)
There is a common misconception that the cost of attendance just includes tuition and room and board. However, there are also a certain amount of fees that you pay. Here at IUP, one of those fees is a wellness fee. Regardless of if you use the health center, you still pay for it. Therefore, you might as well get your money’s worth.
2. It’s relatively cheap.
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This links back to the paying for it, that wellness fee goes towards keeping the cost you pay for going low. Some things they even do for free! If you go to your regular doctor, there’s a copay and then a fee for any prescription you may need. My health center visit plus the prescription I needed cost me $23 total.
3. It’s convenient.
(Photo by Matthew Henry)
I love my PCP, she knows me; however, she’s not at college with me. Going home to go to the doctor is not convenient. You typically have to schedule an appointment weeks in advance and depending on the issue, you may need to see someone sooner than that. The campus health center takes walk-ins and can offer the same services as your regular doctor.
4. They’re nice people.
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It’s easy to think that the people who work in a college health center would be mean or judgmental but, more often than not, that’s not the case. The people who work here know that students deal with a host of problems while at school and they just want to make sure that we are healthy. They have heard and seen it all, so there’s no reason to be afraid of being judged. They are kind people, you just have to give them the chance to be.
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Health centers on college campus are a blessing in disguise. Whether you get a cold that won’t go away or if you twist your ankle. They can, and will, help. You just have to give them a chance.