Ever since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was immediately made clear that the lives of every individual around the globe was undoubtedly severely impacted. One of the demographics the pandemic has managed to cast a dark cloud upon was most certainly students. Not only did it prevent people from leaving their houses, it also put a stop to most activities and services. One of them being physical classes. This has affected the mental well-being of the students since they lacked access to vast resources on campus.
“My mental health has increased and decreased over the course of the pandemic. There have been some good times and some bad times. I try to make myself happy and content as much as I can during these trying times,” says Jazreen Ravendran, a 21-year-old student from Taylor’s School of Law.
The absence of physical classes has most certainly made a great impact on what would have been the idyllic university life for every student.
Leen Ahmed, a 21-year-old psychology student said, “I know I’m missing out on something I was excited for, for a long time.
You imagine growing up, that attending uni is when you feel the most independent and the peak of your youth. Being at home with my family 24/7, instead of actually being on campus, really took that away from me.”
One of the most valuable aspects of physical classes would be the direct face-to-face interaction that lecturers have with their students, as well as friends have with each other.
Imesha Kaur, also from the psychology department, affirmed this by saying that what she misses the most about physical classes was the conversations, discussions, and always having friends around.
When asked which they prefer, most students would agree that they lean more towards physical classes, however online classes do come with their own perks.
Jazreen says that one of the few nice things about online classes is that she only has to wake up 5 minutes before a class, and not have to worry too much about getting ready.
However, all is not lost as there are always means to keep an individual entertained, and various coping mechanisms in order to help them deal with stress.
Sohana Ramesh for one, a psychology student in her second year, employed several means of coping in order to “stay sane”.
“I teach kids and feel absolutely happy doing that. Other than that, I have discovered my love for art and so I paint because I find it very therapeutic for my mind. I also do a lot of journaling and penning down my thoughts which helps to align how I feel,”she adds.
It is vital that we do not lose hope however, for the inevitable fate of the future falls into our hands.
As Sohana eloquently elaborates, “You are the most certain through the uncertainty. This is the time for you to discover yourself, to learn and to grow. So wake up right now, drink a cup of coffee, do what you love the most and find passion in what you are doing. This too shall pass and nothing worth having ever comes easy.”
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