The Impact of COVID-19 on University Student Lifestyle - WHERE?

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 The Impact of COVID-19 on University Student Lifestyle - WHERE?

written by Tisyalene Thangarajoo

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in 2019 which led to numerous lockdowns it has been a challenging year for everyone all around the world. As of 18 May 2020, Malaysia was the most affected country in Southeast Asia with 790 cases and 2 deaths. This has resulted in closing the borders to visitors, citizens were banned from traveling overseas, restricted internal movement and schools, universities, and businesses were also closed. Hence, it led to a partial lockdown for two weeks which eventually was extended for weeks, and as time passed by and the cases were increasing, different types of lockdowns were introduced. This had affected many university students in Malaysia as it has been dreadful for them physically and it also damaged their mental health to depend only on online classes and also to not experience the campus life that they have been dreaming of after all their hard work into getting in a university. Therefore, Covid-19 has changed the lifestyle of every university student to a whole new angle in terms of their study methods and also their study place in general.

 University students were then announced that their lectures would be held online as face-to-face activities were not allowed to reduce close contact with each other and avoid the spreading of the virus, and this has been going on even until now(November 2021). They would usually use applications such as Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and many more for their online lessons. Most of the university students are studying at home with their family members who are also working from home and attending online school. As a result, this has made it even difficult for them to focus while they’re studying at home as they aren’t in a classroom setting, which makes it easier for them to daydream, fall asleep, and not pay attention. It could also distract them if one of their family members happens to be cooking or watching a movie during their online lessons. Thus, this shows how their home might not be the strategic place for them to study.

Moreover, as they are only facing the same scenery without having any real-life conversations with anyone and classes going on and on without breaks, it will also make university students feel demotivated as they might not clearly understand what is being taught and they would have to self-learn for all their subjects. This could also make them frustrated because they would have a very packed schedule as many lecturers would have a thought where since the students are in their home they would not be busy. In consequence, this could damage their mental health by increasing their stress level and causing anxiety which would increase their pressure level into doing well in their studies and not taking breaks.

In addition, there are also university students who live in rural areas where the broadband services are limited that would have to find multiple ways to get a connection to access through their online class and examinations. For example, a Universiti Malaysia Sabah student, Veveonah Mosibin climbed a tree to get a good and uninterrupted connection to sit for her examination and she would prepare all of her basic needs such as food and water too and challenge herself to sleep on the tree for 24 hours. To make some of their lives easier most lecturers would carry out their class asynchronously where the lecture videos are already posted online on YouTube or their university learning website and the students can watch the video at any time they would like to. However, when it comes to the synchronous class it would be harder as they do need a good internet connection to join their class meeting. This shows how the lifestyle of university students has changed drastically as before this students would just have to worry about waking up early and attending their classes physically but for now, they would have to worry about their internet connection as well.

On the other hand, some university students who face difficulties in connection or are required to be in the campus are studying in their campus and attending classes physically where they would have to wear a mask, sanitize their hands, make sure their temperature is normal, and also most importantly is to make sure that they have been vaccinated. Even so, some of their classes would still be conducted online to follow the guidelines that have been set. Apart from that, for those who are studying on their campus, it would be easier for them to ask questions to their lecturers to clear off their confusion Furthermore, it would also be easier for them to complete their assignments and group works by having frequent study groups with their friends and discussing together. Nevertheless, there would still not be many outdoor activities that could be held to limit the crowd and also for the university student’s safety.

To conclude, covid-19 did play a major role in university students no matter where they are studying. Even though there might be some cons during online classes there still could be benefits where students can access their lecture videos online at any time. There’s still hope on covid-19 cases to decrease all around the world as many people are getting vaccinated every single day. According to Our World in Data, about 7.81 billion doses are given. This could increase the positivity of every university student that have been waiting to go back to their university campus and attend face-to-face lessons and organize fun events weekly and enjoy their university life.

References:
Alwis, D. D., Saif, S. K., & Niazi, S. (2020, March 20). Universities shut down across South and Southeast Asia. University World News. Retrieved November 26, 2021, from https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=2020032008521144. 

Lim, I., 2021. Reality for Malaysia’s university students: Online learning challenges, stress, workload; possible solutions for fully digital future until Dec | Malay Mail. [online] Malaymail.com. Available at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/05/30/reality-for-malaysias-university-students-online-learning-challenges-stress/1870717  [Accessed 26 November 2021].

Lee, S., 2021. Sabah student stays overnight in tree to get better Internet connection for online university exams. [online] The Star. Available at: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/06/16/sabah-uni-student-stays-overnight-in-tree-to-get-better-internet-connection-for-online-exams [Accessed 26 November 2021].

School, I., 2021. Why You Can't Focus on Online School. [online] Iconschool.org. Available at: https://www.iconschool.org/blog/why-cant-i-focus-on-my-school-work-when-it-is-online [Accessed 26 November 2021].