Blogs

While universities and colleges around the world grapple with the economic effects of the coronavirus, many may not be thinking about the emotional impact this will be having on university and college students.

Many people are self-isolating, maintaining social and physical distancing and enjoying the cosiness of their homes, which is absolutely necessary in this time of crisis. But it is still taking some time to get used to this. 

Content warning: eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety

The global outbreak of the novel coronavirus has led to widespread fear, uncertainty, and upheaval of routines and systems. There have been critical effects on occupational, educational, and social functioning, in addition to the obvious health risk.

Coronavirus has shaken us all, it’s impacted everyone in some way and I’ve been no exception. I go to Cardiff University, and the changes I’ve seen on campus have been vast. We never anticipated that we would have been affected on the scale that we have. It seems to have all come at once, and many students feel worried about their futures.

My student journey took a different course from those of my peers. Having completed my schooling in Sri Lanka, I decided that I wasn’t ready for university yet and wanted to learn alternatively – to get a taste of the “real world” stuff.

I entered the workforce as an 18-year-old and five years later built my professional work experience in the Sri Lankan tourism industry. This was through hands-on learning, and it significantly contributed to the development of skills and character through my work in client interface.

Some people say the hardest part of being an international student in Canada is learning the language, some say it’s getting used to the winter, but I think it’s being able to fit into the culture and adapt to the changes.

It was last Friday before the start of clinical placements when I received the news that Singapore had raised its Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level to Orange.

In preparation for my work-study placement, I had shifted my uniforms to the side of my closet, hoping to save a few minutes in the mornings. Notes had been compiled and categorised in print and digital formats. I had even drawn up a timetable to keep track of submissions and evaluations. I was ready, but DORSCON Orange changed everything.

We are experiencing a global crisis due to the Covid-19 outbreak, and our first concern should be our health and that of those around us. This is something we all agree on. However, the potential impact this pandemic will have on my studies has been constantly on my mind during the last few days.

We’re Clare and Katie, two chemistry BSc students from the University of York. Our final third-year project centred around finding new and innovative ways to teach chemistry. As we come to the end of our project, we’d like to share with you our experiences and reflect on the opportunities that emerged along the way. 

As a working-class female student from a large industrial town in the north of England, I came from an educational environment that did not really expect or prepare me to climb the social ladder. Consequently, when I got accepted into an elite Russell Group university, I was never really prepared for the loss of my identity, or the loss of a sense of home and place as I attempted to find my feet in the environment of higher education.