Lockdown Thoughts: The Game of University

06/01/2021

By Charlotte

                                                                                                        

University.                                                                                                                                                       It is meant to be a place of fun, independence, academic study, personal growth, and mental resilience. Yet, since March 2020, universities have become a breeding ground of tremendous challenge for young people.

 There is little support available to thousands of students living in foreign cities. There is near to non face-to-face teaching taking place. There are no sports, no societies, nor social events. However, there is high abundance of one floating factor… 

Money.

 And, it is not the students that are in receipt of this money. Instead, the universities themselves. I mean, who pays for an item at the till, and then once the money has been paid, is told; no you cannot leave the shop with the item? It’s a shambolic system and, without doubt, cruel trick, that is unable to withstand the stresses of a global pandemic without providing students with a bag of injustice, mental exhaustion, and unfair transactions.

Whilst, it is more than understandable, that universities do need the full fee payments to survive this year; it is morally incomprehensible that students have been left so vulnerable. Simply, if a service is not being met, or a target missed, someone must be held accountable and compensation gifted. The quality of education has been reduced, so too should the fees. More than this, university students need to be treated with a greater sense of humanity, dignity and protection. In the face of academic turmoil, job prospects, graduations, internships, specialist training, loans and debts, the toll on mental health will be unimaginable.

 Let these thoughts roll through your mind:

Every student deserves a support system. Every student deserves a weekly conversation with the welfare team. Every student deserves counselling support when requested. Every student deserves the truth. Every student deserves reduced fees for 2020/2021 academic year.

Moreover, every student deserves some help.

Every university student needs support from their university and consequently the government this year.

For the sake of education,  I can only hope something changes as I observe from afar.

 

     Have a lovely day!