GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — East Carolina University is starting an “adulting” counseling program to help students deal with failure and other pitfalls of growing up.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Virginia Hardy says students requested 9,000 appointments with counselors last school year, an increase of 1,800 appointments over two years ago.

The Daily Reflector of Greenville reports (http://bit.ly/2b3kbsM ) that Hardy told university trustees that students are struggling to understand there will be setbacks in life and responding to them properly is key to their development.

When students return in the fall, they will be given a self-assessment about resiliency and offered help to deal with stress through relaxation techniques and changing unproductive negative thoughts.

Hardy also hopes the courses prevent students from turning to drugs and alcohol to deal with stress.

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Information from: The Daily Reflector, http://www.reflector.com