The Beehive Blog offers timely updates, insights, and resources to help Rochester Community and Technical College students stay informed and engaged throughout their academic journey.
Highlighted in This Week’s Beehive Blog
- Mental Health During Winter Break
- Free STI Testing
- Checking Fall Grades
- Light Therapy Boxes
- Parenting Student Survey/a>
- Sell Your Books Back
- Register Now for Spring 2026 Classes
- Studying for Finals
Take Care of Your Mental Health During Winter Break
As the end of the semester approaches, stress levels can rise quickly. You may even be experiencing feelings of burnout, anxiety, or withdrawal. But you are not alone! Support is just a click away!
RCTC Student Health Services has a licensed mental health therapist from Zumbro Valley Health Center (ZVHC) is available to meet with RCTC students either in-person (in Student Health Services) or virtually! (You must be located within the State of Minnesota to use the virtual telehealth services.) If you have health insurance coverage, ZVHC will bill the insurance company for these mental health therapy services. Students are never refused services if they are unable to pay or are unable/unwilling to use their health insurance. If payment is a concern, please communicate this with the Student Health Services staff.
To schedule a visit with the therapist, log in to your confidential RCTC Student Health portal at MyHealth.RCTC.edu using your RCTC login credentials. If you need assistance with scheduling, call Student Health Services at 507-285-7261 or stop by our office at HS140.
If you are located outside of Minnesota or are looking for services outside of regular business hours, Minnesota State has a partnership with Mantra Health to provide virtual mental health support. Check out Mantra’s Care Hub for more information about the services available to RCTC students.
You are not facing it alone!
Tips for mental health self-care:
- Practice an attitude of gratitude. Recognizing blessings and joys helps to keep the stresses in perspective.
- Exercise! Regular physical activity is a great stress reliever.
- Avoid using drugs or alcohol to deal with your stress. They only mask the symptoms of stress and do nothing to reduce stress or eliminate the causes of the stress.
- Breathe. Inhale slowly through your nose, then exhale even more slowly through your mouth. Do this at least twice. (Go ahead. Give it a try. Yep, right now. It feels pretty good, doesn’t it?)
- Ask for help when you need it! Talk with trusted friends and family members or contact Student Health Services or your regular healthcare provider if you’re feeling overwhelmed. RCTC has a licensed mental health therapist available for our students. More information is available here. Current RCTC students can schedule appointments at MyHealth.RCTC.edu.
- 24/7 help is available! Call, text, or chat 988 if you or a loved one is experiencing any of the following:
-
- Feeling lost, overwhelmed, or hopeless
- Experiencing depression, anxiety, or a panic attack
- Having suicidal thoughts
- Wanting to harm yourself or others
- Having rapid mood swings
- Have lost touch with reality
- At risk of being unable to care for yourself
Unable to function in a healthy manner
Free STI Testing
Free Chlamydia and Gonorrhea tests in Student Health Services. A urine specimen is required for tests. Call 507-285-7261 or visit MyHealth.RCTC.edu to schedule your confidential appointment today!
Checking Fall Grades
Final grades are expected by December 27, 2025. Check grades on eServices. Contact instructors for missing grades.
Light Therapy Boxes
Available at various campus locations (Goddard Library, TRIO/Student Support Services, Lower-level study area in Health Sciences, First floor Coffman high tables, and the Heintz Center Cyber Café) for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Use for 10-20 minutes. Follow instructions and complete the survey via QR code.
Parenting Student Survey
Are you a parenting student? That is, are you caring for a child under the age of 18 that you can claim as your dependent? If so, we need your input! Please complete the survey found here to share your experiences and help inform us about our programming and processes. Our desire is to make the services you need more accessible! A random drawing will be held, and four survey respondents will receive a $25 gift card to the RCTC Bookstore.
Sell Your Books Back to the RCTC Bookstore
Be sure to mark your calendars, textbook sell back begins Monday, December 15; as it is only for 1 WEEK! The RCTC Bookstore hours are 8am until 4:30pm. The last day to sell your books back is Friday, December 19.
Student ID Required for all transactions!
Visit the bookstore in person or its website if you have any questions or concerns.
Register Now for Your Spring 2026 Classes
- Get the schedule YOU want! Get the courses you NEED!
- Avoid wrong courses! Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor to review your degree plan.
- Handle any roadblocks early. Starting early gives you time to resolve any issues like holds or financial aid errors.
How do I schedule an appointment with my advisor? Schedule online at Advising and Counseling or contact the Advising Center at 507-285-7260 for assistance.
Studying for Finals
Finals Preparation Tips:
- Manage Your Time: Use a calendar or planner to schedule your study times and write down your finals schedule.
- Review, Don’t Cram: Cramming often leads to poor results. Review your notes regularly instead.
- Sleep and Eat Well: Get at least seven hours of sleep and a good breakfast. Avoid acidic or greasy foods.
- Stay Calm: It’s normal to feel anxious about tests. Use that energy to focus.
- Be Confident: Visualize success to boost your confidence.
- Arrive on Time: Get to the classroom about five minutes before the test starts to avoid anxiety.
- Strategize: Look over the entire test first. Answer easier questions and high-point questions first. For essays, make an outline.
- Focus on Keywords: Pay attention to key terms in questions.
- Trust Your Answers: Only change an answer if you’re sure it’s wrong.
Immediate Preparation Steps:
- Three Days Before: Spend an hour reading through your notes. Don’t try to memorize, just read.
- Two Days Before: Review your notes slowly, highlighting important points and noting weak areas. Create a “master outline” of central themes and weak points.
- Night Before: Review your “master outline” and focus on weak areas. Write out answers to any study questions as practice.
Remember, everyone has their own way of preparing for exams. Find what works best for you!
For more tips, visit Snexplores.org.