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

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

written by Yee Zhi Yew

    Starting on March 18, 2020, Malaysia had implemented Movement Control Order (MCO) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, MCO has been extended several times and relaxed to different phases in 2020 and 2021. Until now (November 2021), many sectors are still facing the impact of lockdown caused by the pandemic. In the education sector, many students of all ages are not yet ready to return to school. This situation is surely affecting the lifestyle of university students. Therefore, this essay is going to focus on why COVID-19 affects the lifestyle of university students. 

Before we dive into the topic, let’s think about the things that matter the most to university students. Academic, perhaps. During the pandemic, the most obvious change is the way of teaching and learning, from traditional face-to-face lessons to online meetings. To avoid direct contact with others, remote learning has become the only choice for all students. The transformation in learning methods is closely linked to the lifestyle of university students as university students and academics have always been inseparable.

Therefore, changes in learning styles are the first reason why COVID-19 impacts the lifestyle of university students. This is because they have to modify their learning timetable and adapt to the new teaching methods. Most of the universities provided two alternative learning modes which are synchronous and asynchronous. Through these learning methods, students have the freedom to decide their learning plan and with internet access, they can get connected with their teachers anywhere and anytime they want. A relatively flexible learning style allows students to manage and organize their time according to their own preferences. For example, students that prefer asynchronous learning methods can watch the recording videos when they are free at any time and anywhere.

Besides, online learning has brought another impact on university student lifestyle, especially those who have limited resources and accessibility to online learning. Students that are unable to access and involve in online learning are facing disparity and dropout among them. This phenomenon is more likely to occur with international students too. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries are still restricting the entry of foreigners which causes many international students to still remain in their country. In consequence, they would have to change their lifestyle to adapt to the local learning methods and time differences. For example, international students that are from European countries might have to attend live online lectures at night due to time zone differences. As a result, this might increase their probability of having mental health problems and damaged physical wellness.

Furthermore, self-discipline becomes the crucial key to university students whether their lifestyle will be influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is difficult for the professor to know if the student is focusing during the lecture session. This is because access to social media is increasing the difficulty of students to stay focused for a long online learning duration. It is easy to be distracted when studying in a place where there is no learning environment. Nevertheless, disciplined students will use this chance to fill in their time by carrying out meaningful activities such as reading, exercising, and so on. On the other hand, university students that are less disciplined will waste their time in activities that would not bring benefits to their academic performance. A flexible time management decision-making had shown the different impacts on the lifestyle of different university students due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In conclusion, the main factor in the impact of COVID-19 on university students' lifestyles is the transition of learning styles which have led to other factors.

Reference: 

Amir, L.R., Tanti, I., Maharani, D.A. et al. Student perspective of classroom and distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic in the undergraduate dental study program Universitas Indonesia. BMC Med Educ 20, 392 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02312-0

Selvanathan, M., Hussin, N. A. M., & Azazi, N. A. N. (2020). Students learning experiences during COVID-19: Work from home period in Malaysian Higher Learning Institutions. Teaching Public Administration. https://doi.org/10.1177/0144739420977900