Peking University, May 26, 2017: How to cure “procrastination”? How to maintain an intimate relationship? How to accept yourself and seek for the truth of life? On May 25th, 2017, the National College Student Mental Health Day, Office of Mentality Education for Students of PKU held a special activity called “Tree Hole” in The Triangle on campus. Combining online and offline services, the tree hole mailboxes not only encouraged students to release their emotions, but also set up a platform for students to communicate and share their hearts with each other.
Scene of the” Tree Hole” activity
A large tree-shaped display board was erected on the spot with hollow “tree holes”, which served as mailboxes for student to unfold their troubles and pour out their hearts. “Tree Hole” encouraged students to release emotions by expressing themselves, which corresponded to “depression”, the theme of World Health Day 2017. Student put anonymous yellow notes carried with their personal emotions into “tree holes” and student assistants occasionally stuck these notes on the display board. What’s more, some students used pink notes to conveyed their encouragement, answered others’ inward confusion and handed down the fraternity among students.
What if you were dissatisfied with life? What if you were unwilling to learn while the deadline was approaching? A student replied to these common problems: “You will suddenly find your preferred life has already come if you live in the present without any regrets.” One reply was also enlightening: “Encourage yourself once you fulfill a small target; remind yourself by a scheduled time table. Every day we waste is the next day that many people unable to reach.”
There were always students stopped before the board during the rush hour, delivering their psychological perplexity, enlightening others or watching the notes on display.
Tree-shaped board covered with notes
In order to spread knowledge more widely and help students gain a deeper insight into themselves, the activity planned a Q&A session. Students who involved in the Q& A session and answered three or more questions correctly would get books as rewards. Covering psychological knowledge and simple symptoms of psychiatric illnesses, the carefully designed questions were aimed to set up a comprehensive psychological conception in students’ mind.
The Office of Mentality Education for Students collected students’ psychological confusion, which incorporates various dimensions: procrastination, intimate friendship and self-acceptance, the week before the activity via online platform. Psychological consultants picked out some representative questions to answer and the selected online Q&A was a prelude to the “Tree Hole” activity. Also, the emotions and confusions shared by students in the activity will be selected, answered and posted online.
The 5•25 National College Student Mental Health Day aims at reminding college students of treasuring life and caring of themselves. The “Tree Hole” was designed to lead students to achieve such goals, so was a try in Campus Compeer Mental Tutorship Project in PKU. The Office of Mentality Education for Students will carried out a diversity of activities in the future to help students grow from outside to the inside.
Written by: Xu Yilun
Edited by: Li Ruiqi
