When the UK government introduced a national lockdown in March 2020 after a surge of COVID-19 infections, university campuses across the country fell victim to the many public closures due to the virus.
A Shift To Remote Learning
The move dramatically altered how many people would see university life with exams deferred or cancelled, teaching moved to Zoom or Skype, and the anticipated nightlife that came as a package of the typical ‘student life’ shattered after club closures. Graduates chose between graduating in absentia or waiting until the following year to be able to graduate.
Thousands of students across the UK were directly affected by remote learning. There was a significant disruption to exam timetables, limited access to resources needed for studying, and Zoom sessions used as replacements for classes.
I never imagined my postgraduate studies would be interrupted by a global pandemic. If you had told me a year ago that the circumstances would be like they are now, I would’ve laughed and brushed it off. Students do not have it easy, especially as we’re still attempting to adapt to this “new normal” that has set a precedent in our lives. I never would’ve thought my graduation ceremony would end up postponed until next year at the latest.
An Office for Students spokesperson said: “Given the possibility of local outbreaks in our university towns and cities, modes of teaching might need to change at late notice.
“Where this does happen, universities should make this clear as quickly as possible, being sensitive to the potential disruption to students.”
I found it difficult to get used to remote learning. Despite keeping in touch regularly with my tutors about coursework, it just wasn’t the same as having one-to-one personal contact. The help was there, but it wasn’t as useful.
It didn’t help that my Wi-Fi connection wasn’t strong enough at times, either, so attending Zoom sessions went out of the window most of the time. Sitting for my exams at home was less than ideal.
Studying In A COVID-19 Era
With universities reopening for students to return for the next academic year, the government have recently put in place safety measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 on campuses. These include:
- All students are expected to wear face coverings of any sort when attending in-person lectures or in university buildings (University of East Anglia).
- Students only being allowed to socialise with their ‘household’ (University of Kent).
- The 10 pm curfew in popular social hotspots including pubs, cafes, and restaurants.
- Freshers Week events cancelled due to nightclubs remaining shut.
- In Glasgow and Manchester, students have been ordered to lockdown in their flats – with their lectures held online.
Michele Trusolino, from Debut, said: “The pandemic is changing everything for students, from their everyday routines and studying habits to their recruitment prospects after their studies.”
The Cost Of Reopening Education
What are the pros of reopening education? For one, students will get some normality back throughout the crisis. Although lectures and seminars have mainly transferred virtually, some universities are still holding classes in-person with tighter safety measures in place. Also, it increases the use of technology – preparing students for a potential lifestyle working from home, which has quickly become the norm throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
However, one of the major cons of reopening education is the potential spike in cases. It’s no secret that students have been transmitting the virus. Glasgow is a case example in which 172 students tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week. It has also changed student life. With socialising down to a minimum of six people in England, students will rebel against the government guidelines – especially those becoming freshers. It’s created a burden of isolation amongst students, as the first year of university is mostly about making friends and having the time of their lives.
Eleanor McLean has just graduated with her BA in Fine Art from the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham and has just started her Masters in Sculpture at the Royal College of Art. She said: “I just finished my BA and we couldn’t do our degree show on campus. They said they would reschedule when galleries reopened, but that hasn’t happened, so it’s false promises.”
She continued: “We’re allocated ‘burst’ weeks. We only get two weeks this term to use the studios and workshops on campus, meaning that we will have to transport lots of stuff back and forth and take time off work. It’s just very hectic and unorganised.”
How To Make The Most Of The Situation
As someone who has experience studying during a global health pandemic, my advice for any new undergraduate or postgraduate student starting/returning to university this year is:
Don’t let a global pandemic dictate your worth. If there’s a career path opened directly for you, fight like hell to get to that point – whether we’re still going through COVID-19 in the next couple of years or not.
It’s completely OK not to have a clue what’s going on. It was surreal when the country went into lockdown, but none of us had a single clue what we should do or not do. All we knew was that going into campus when we knew it was closed, would have been a stupid move.
No matter what the virus throws your way, you WILL succeed. When I was writing my coursework, I started feeling overwhelmingly fearful that I wouldn’t achieve my MA. I had worked so hard all year for it, but I had the anxiety that my hard work was all for nothing. Don’t let fear get in the way of your success, and if you do fail, it’s not the end of the world.
Good luck to every single student who is studying throughout this pandemic. No matter what your results are at the end of your degree, you learned and worked hard during a public health crisis, and that’s something to be proud of – even if it gets hard.
Words by Cameron Jull
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