Tuesday, March 5,  5PM - 7PM

Tuesday, February 27,  5 - 6:30 PM

Wednesday, October 17, 2023 · 12:30 - 2:30 PM

The Commons : 331

Relax, Refresh, Reset...

Join OCSS during Transfer Student Week while we celebrate with a professional masseuse and acupuncturist. BUT the relaxation doesn't end there, we will also be giving out make-your-own self-care kits. Please use links below to sign up while spots last!

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Wednesday, October 18, 2023 · 12- 1PM

Open Breezeway

Join the Peer Health Educators for Wellness Wednesdays! This Wednesday stop by the Uncovered Breezeway.

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Focus: Healthy Self-Concept

Guest Host: Dr. Samantha Smith

Thursday, October 19, 2023 · 3- 4PM

During Intimate Partner Violence Week, Dr. Samantha Smith will be hosting the We Believe You discussion group in partnership with the Women's Center. 

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Play it safe!

Saturday, October 21, 2023 · 8 - 10 PM

The Commons : Sportszone

You don't want to miss out on this bingo collaboration between (seb) and the Office of Health Promotion! Bring your friends and find out what this bingo is all about.

Another year of college is coming to a close. An important part of growing and adjusting to college life, has been maintaining healthy relationships and boundaries with your family. In fact, college tends to bring a lot of newfound independence in one's life, and could even be someone's first time living away from home. This independence and transition into adulthood could possibly cause a shift in family dynamics that can be difficult for both you and your family to navigate. Know that if you are struggling with this, you are not alone. The summer serves as a great time to review how your college year went and how you navigated those relationships. Here are some tips to help you develop and maintain a healthy relationship with your family during your time in college and beyond. 

Money can be a huge stressor for college students and their families. If you know you'll be relying on them for some financial support throughout college, it can be helpful to sort that out in a shared spreadsheet. Even if you aren't financially reliant on your parents, having a clear budget for yourself is still a great way to reduce a lot of uncertainty or stress regarding one's finances and spending. Make sure to be clear about your limits if you're also earning some money for the family, as you might need some savings for food, utilities, etc. Bottom line, make sure all aspects of the budget are clear to everyone in the family and yourself. 

The move to college life is a huge transition, and it's important to note that students do feel the effects of strained relationships. Not addressing this strain can make the issue worse, lead to past issues coming up again, or even make present circumstances all the more hard to handle. If you are experiencing any challenges within your family, parental, or caregiver relationships, please remember to utilize the plenty of resources available to you at UMBC. They include:

Residential Life (professional staff or RAs)

As college students, we are all still learning how to navigate our sexual health. It's important to understand how broad the topic of sexual health is. It includes your sexuality, sexual preferences, wants and needs, etc. Having a solid understanding of sexual health and knowing your own boundaries and how to communicate them is crucial when engaging in new relationships. This can be key in understanding yourself and establishing healthy relationships and a mutual understanding with your partner(s).

For many, sex is a taboo topic of conversation. Because of this, it can feel pretty awkward to talk about your sexual health with someone else, especially when entering a new relationship. Having the conversation doesn't have to feel awkward. In fact, talking about sex can benefit the relationship and your experiences long term. Sex can affect you in ways that aren't just physical. This is why it is very important to have conversations about sex before actually engaging.

Still feeling nervous? Here are a number of ways you can approach the conversation. 

You can: 

It is important to know that even if you use any of these approaches, there's no guarantee that your partner will be receptive to having a conversation about their sexual health. If this does happen, you should consider whether or not it's worth moving forward in the relationship. The point of having these conversations about sexual health is to make sure both you and your partner feel safe and comfortable with one another. If they refuse to have that discussion, the relationship might not be worth pursuing. Remember to keep your needs in mind as you navigate these conversations and figure out your compatibility!

Know that if you ever need help navigating how to talk to your partner about sexual health, UMBC offers an array of resources such as the Office of Health Promotion (OHP) and Retriever Integrated Health (RIH). They are both located in The Center for Well-Being and can help you and/or your partner. To check out their services, head over to https://healthpromotion.umbc.edu/ and https://health.umbc.edu. 

We are sharing tips on healthy relationships and safe sex practices on Instagram and Twitter! Follow us @UMBCOHP to learn more.