COVID-19: Life as a Post-Secondary Student
In this section of the archive, we will uncover in which ways COVID-19 has impacted university students. As the current situation unfolded, citizens' lives have been altered immensely, especially those continuing their studies. Despite the adverse effects it would have on students, they were forced to transition into online learning instead of traditional education. This may have brought benefits to some students, but for most it was the start of an uphill battle. Many students were unsure what this would mean for them academically, as they remained hopeful that life would return to 'normal' quickly. The areas of focus will include the effects this has played on students' mental health as they lack in-person interaction, possibly live in unhealthy environments, and have had to stop partaking in extracurriculars. We will also dive into the topic of affordability and what this means for post-secondary students. Due to the pandemic, many individuals have lost their jobs, or had parents lose jobs, impacting their financial situation. Many institutions did not attempt to cut costs for students, which resulted in making a difficult decision for some. In addition to this, we will illustrate the barriers to online learning. Many institutions have a large number of international students, which poses a time zone issue. To add, as classes remain online, the integrity of learning gets tested as they are forced to take examinations at home.
We decided to choose the topic as we are university students ourselves and are actively experiencing these issues. It is important for us to speak on behalf of a situation that relates to us as the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of all individuals and something that will be discussed for decades to come. Speaking out about what is currently happening is crucial so that those in the future will try and get a sense of what living in 2020 was like -- the good and the bad.
In this archive, we aim to cover what it is like being a university student during these difficult times. The obstacles that we have been faced with and will overcome is something that millions will resonate with. We hope to effectively address the current issues for the reality of what they are, documenting the unprecedented times we are trying to work through.