COVID-19’s impact on studies from a student’s perspective

A year on from COVID-19 lockdowns in Australia, our uni students are (mostly) still studying from home. Some students might think this is great! Super productive AND you get to stay in bed for classes?! Nothing better, right? Well, let me tell you a couple things about uni life that you could be missing out on. 

One thing from uni that I will ALWAYS remember is the amazing friends I made in first year, as well as all our time spent at Unibar. It was the perfect first year experience - drinking beers and eating chip rolls for lunch, playing pool for hours and changing the music on the jukebox. I was always surrounded by my new friends and it's such a big part of Uni life and the culture. I felt sorry for the first year students this past year, because quite frankly, they had a pretty boring start to their adult life - sitting in their room watching lectures and taking part in tutorials? Where’s the beers and friends to make Uni fun and to separate from the educational experience?  

From personal experience, I have never done well at working from home. Whether it be catching up on missed lectures or trying to do assignments from home, I find that the motivation is always lacking. The lack of interaction has been an issue for a lot of students over the last year, particularly for those who moved to the city of their university - whether that be interstate or internationally. The lack of physical communication can be tough especially if you’re hanging out at home and only doing Uni via zoom where you’re often faced with blank screens and a tutor talking at you. This may be one of the hardest parts of COVID-19 lockdowns and most people would have experienced this in one form or another. 

Stemming from this, it may be super difficult for students to remain focused on their course content. The lack of motivation or communication can often make students feel uninspired. It’s important to have a self care and motivating routine in order to get the most out of the “working from home” mindset. It is the only way you can truly benefit from the laid back lifestyle before life gets crazy again. Check out our post  on ways to look after yourself while working from home!

While some students have really struggled with this change of pace, others have been thriving. Students that may struggle with mental health issues could possibly enjoy this way of “Uni life” much more than others. The slower paced routine is less stressful and students are in control of what happens around them. This benefits those particularly with mental health issues, in a way that they may have never experienced through high school.

All in all, COVID-19 has truly changed the way we communicate, learn and LIVE all in the span of a year. Students all over may be rejoicing that we (Australian’s) are now going back to a more “regular” schedule of physical classes and experiencing Uni like they had always intended - and on the flip side, some students might be happy to bask in the online learning platforms. Sound off below - are you coping with online learning? 

Written by: Olivia Tartaro