What is the impact of Covid-19 on student life?

Covid-19 has seemingly impacted almost all areas of our lives. If you’re a student, chances are that you’ve experienced serious disruptions to your education. The impact of Covid-19 on students’ life has been huge, especially for those at university.

Whilst we can be hopeful that things may have returned to normal by the time the Autumn comes around, you may be wondering how Covid-19 has, and potentially will, impact university life.

Pandemic’s effects on students

How does Covid-19 affect you as a student?

Universities have seen their daily life dramatically changed by the pandemic. This isn’t surprising if you think about it - lectures can often seat 100 students, then there’s student night and social life - all the things that give a campus its buzz.

Covid has not just impacts students’ social lives, however, but also their education. For most students, learning has been largely moved to online. Lecturers and teaching staff have had to grapple with zoom, teams, and lecture recording.

Then there’s the issue with access to resources. Libraries for the most part have been closed over the last year, and continue to remain shut. Whilst there were brief intermissions between lockdowns, even then, limitations on library spaces, how many books you could take out etc, were still in place.

Unfortunately for those who were hoping to regain some sense of normality this year, mutations and new variants have put firm dampeners on any hopes of restrictions easing as rates of transmission have increased. Universities across the country have remained mindful of this, and no doubt will continue to do so over the next few months as they prepare for entry later this year.

We spoke to David, a student at the University of St Andrews, to find out more.

To get an idea of how current university students have found studying under lockdown, we spoke to some students from universities across the UK.

David, from the University of St Andrews in Scotland, spoke about how his university experience has been changed. When asked about the physical impact, David said he missed out most on the university’s vibrant social life.

“I’ve not been able to play any sport, or see large groups of friends, which was a highlight of my time at university”.

With many students deciding to move back home instead of staying in university accommodation, access to resources is limited – but this is the case even for those who remain at uni. During the first lockdown, students across the country faced the closure of libraries and the end to in-person teaching. Given the unpredictable and unexpected nature of the virus, many institutions took time to adjust to the new way of teaching and studying. For some, this meant they could only access a limited number of digitised sources.

Despite the chaos caused to his final year as an undergraduate student, David is still able to end with a positive note.

“I’m still able to take joy in the little things. University, and indeed life, are what you make it”.

It is fair to say then, that whilst fun can still be found, Covid has had a significant impact on student’s university experience over the last year.

The way lectures are delivered has had to change

How is Covid-19 likely to impact me next year?

Boris Johnson’s recent roadmap to end lockdown restrictions does leave hope for universities to regain some sense of normality. However, if the last year has taught us anything, it’s that we cannot predict the future.

During the pandemic, universities and colleges have published statements on how they are responding to the virus – you can find these on their websites. Although there won’t be much variation between institutions, you can check on the course page what restrictions are likely to still be in place when the Autumn comes.

If you’re studying Medicine, for example, it is possible that you will keep some in-person contact hours.

How have applications for 2021 changed?

If you’ve applied to go to university or college this year, you’ll likely be aware of some changes made to the application process.

You may have noticed that the UCAS deadline was extended this year, from the 15th January to the 29th. The deadline for responding offers has also been extended – the date has been changed to the 10th June, giving applicants more time to weigh up their options.

Open days have also moved online. Most universities have created great alternatives to open days with a range on online content. Take a look at your chosen course’s website to see when you can attend an online open day.

Admissions tutors understand that applicants will not have been able to conduct much work experience - so don’t stress if you feel that your personal statement has suffered because of the pandemic. This applies for those applying for uni next year too. Admissions tutors understand that your plans will have been seriously impacted by Covid. They also understand that the way you will be assessed has changed.

What does it look like moving forward?

How you will be impacted for starting uni in 2021 also depends on where you are going to study – each of the UK’s nations have taken different and localised responses to the pandemic. So if you’re hoping to study in Scotland, for example, but live in England or Wales, you may want to keep up to date with what Scottish unis and the Scottish parliament are saying.

If you’re concerned about how your experience will be impacted in the next year, the best thing to do is take a look at the university website, to see what measures they’ve put in place. You can also speak to current students to gain a better understanding of what lockdown learning is like.

Between now and Fresher’s week, the best thing you can do is stay up to date with changes in restrictions and remember, universities understand all the stresses and impacts the pandemic has had.