Therapy Dogs For College Students

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iD34I3mt9OWwwJbDXDwItM1ZUCv...

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MEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — Tufts University is throwing stressed-out students a bone: therapy dogs to play with during their final exams.

Colleges have long extended library hours and offered extra counseling around test time. Now they're adopting quirky stress-fighting events for students, who face a tough job market in addition to finishing up the semester. From dog visits to free midnight massages to laser tag, students are getting help navigating those last days before turning in final papers and taking finals.

"I hope these puppies make me happy and give me a nice break between studying ... just cut the studying a little bit," 19-year-old Tufts freshman Chloe Wong said Tuesday, petting an Australian shepherd brought in by her resident director.

She called her first semester "challenging." She left her hometown of Manalapan, N.J.; has spent weeks away from family, friends and her shih tzu; and was fearing she'd lose her cool with her first set of final exams.

But on Tuesday, the community health major got to relax and play with a set of dogs that resident director Michael Bliss brought in for her and other Tufts students he serves. They set down their books, laptops and e-readers for a chance to pet, feed and even chase the therapy animals as media camera bulbs flashed.

"Every college student has stress around finals," said Bliss, who came up with the idea of dog visits after participating in a similar program as an undergraduate at New York University. "And taking a break out from that with something as easy and simple and loving as petting dogs is really helpful."

Therapy dogs have long been used to cheer up the sick and elderly. But more colleges are embracing the idea as a stress reliever and a way to engage students, said Brian Van Brunt, president of the American College Counseling Association.

Schools have been developing more flashy methods over the past 10 years or so by sponsoring stress-busting events ranging from late-night yoga and oxygen bars to some school leaders dressing up as the "pizza fairy" and delivering free food.

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[TheGiantRobot]

@hitherandyon

I have a theory about the department that creates and recreates and recreates the comment section for Youtube. Every several months they throw a giant drug party, get completely wasted, then come in and implement the new comment design the next day.

[stevend24]

I agree with Jayar

[dojOdRiFTeR]

engineerign and science students i understand but arts no no no stress in any shape or form

[dojOdRiFTeR]

@argonaaut thats cause college 10 - 1t5 urs ago was way easier

[ImumMare]

I'm a freshman college student and in general I spend almost all the time not spent sleeping (4 hours typically, by the way) studying and doing homework, even when I don't have finals or midterms. I don't have time to relieve stress and I wish wholeheartedly that my school would buy itself a heart and bring in therapy dogs. I think its very callous and unsympathetic of these two to say these things and find myself wondering what subjects they were studying in college.

[aidforlatty]

these guys suck major ass.

[FlyinSpaghettiMnstr7]

4:28 you need an 11 kill streak chenk

[UndeadLight]

FIU has got to get in on this. Midnight lazor tag hell yeah.

[jayswivlezz]

@TheFallchild336 and u proved my point. ur not paying for shit. ur loans are.

[SeNsaToR]

The difference is that you pay to go to college, a job gets you money. On top of that it is expensive as shit and when the fate of the rest of your life weighs in the balance it's something that you will most likely never experience again in your life.

[rery8889]

@argonaaut It also depends on the individual because real life might be easy if you're just a single person working some routine job in a store, but not if you have to search for employment in a more competitive job to support a family and pay off your debts. College students generally aren't really forced to attend every class like in high school, as long as they do well on the exams, and some are still living with their parents. And aren't college students known for partying a lot.

[chrislozinski]

I'm sorry, but these two people make complete asses of themselves every time they open their mouths on this show for several reasons. You cannot use the "back when I went to school" argument because institutions change dramatically over time.  A study published in "The British Journal of Psychiatry" suggested that one of the most important factors in preventing students from committing suicide during school and finals is to provide adequate means of alleviating academic stress and worries.