Summary
The Covid pandemic has significantly impacted people’s lives, independent of their gender, age, race, and social status. One stratum of people that were influenced in unprecedented ways is college and university students, with their mode of studying changing to online learning. This change brought about various complications and anxieties that undermined the way students viewed the universities and education system. The consequent lack of faith in higher education establishments is an issue that has a great impact on students’ lives and mental health.
The Matter of Financial Stability during the Pandemic
As a general assumption, people believe that one’s abilities, for example, talent, acumen, diligence, and perseverance, are factors that would allow a person to prevail in education. On the other hand, the lack of financial support often creates a disturbance in a person’s ability to attain higher education. However, the existence of scholarships and various other support programs is a factor that helps mend the issue of finance. The pandemic changed this status quo drastically as people lost jobs, homes, and those able to support them.
The statistics show that the switch to online learning forced students to make purchases in order to continue their studies. More than half of surveyed individuals stated that they needed to buy equipment, with seventy percent of them claiming that the costs were substantial. In addition, the number of people who considered the costs to be significant was higher among those with children of caregiver obligations, ranking at ninety-one percent (Burke para. 3). I was one of the people who needed to buy new equipment to continue to study efficiently. Hence, I can see that spending a large amount of money during a time of worldwide insecurity regarding future safety, both health-related and financial, was not an easy decision to make. Ultimately, I decided that education was crucial for me, and I spent the money I had saved for emergency cases, leaving me practically without a safety net. Feeling insecure regarding the stability of my future was a large contributor to the mental health problems that I faced during the lockdown.
Another challenge that students have encountered regarding spending on education during the pandemic was the speed of the Internet. Approximately sixty percent of students stated that they had trouble accessing high-speed Internet, which was necessary for efficient studying (Burke para. 4). Personally, I did not have such a problem, but my loved ones did end up in this situation. For a long time, they had to access high-speed Internet through the means of going to friends’ abodes or coffee shops. Through their experiences, I know that doing so created a sense of hecticness and uncertainty about whether or not higher education was worth the struggle. The sense of disbalance is a decisive factor contributing to the disruption of one’s mental health.
Higher Education Establishments and Students’ Trust
In times of uncertainty, it is highly important for people to know that they can rely on a source of power to help them in their struggle. Higher education establishments play a crucial role in students’ lives as, for many of them, it helps navigate the murky and stormy waters of adolescence. It is natural that during the pandemic, many students expected colleges and universities to provide them with the help necessary to overcome the hardships they faced, including the monetary ones. Due to the pandemic, students with less financial support or opportunity had trouble adapting to online learning. This led to these students not being able to continue their education while more fortunate students did. This example showcases how the pandemic created a sense of discrimination regarding less financially stable people in the education system without it being the establishments’ fault.
The statistics support the assessment that many students have doubts regarding the education system. Nearly fifty percent of the surveyed students stated that they trust the education establishments’ leadership less than they did before the pandemic. In comparison, this number stands at sixty-three percent for black students (Burke para. 7). As has been mentioned before, the lack of financial support has created a sense of discrimination among certain students. In addition, the black community already stands as largely marginalized. The combined effect of diminishing mental stability and feeling discriminated against, with the addition of having experienced racial biases, creates a lasting sense of distrust towards the education system. Not being able to trust the authorities who are meant to be viewed as a source of guidance furthers the mental struggle that many experience during difficult times. Furthermore, the given experience provides a basis for future reference when dealing with official organizations, affecting the way people interact with various authoritative establishments in the future.
In conclusion, the hardships faced as a result of the pandemic and consequent lack of trust in higher education establishments have a significant impact on student’s future and mental health. The financial struggles that students faced have worked towards creating a sense of uncertainty and insecurity, undermining their mental health. Marginalized and under-resourced groups are at a more considerable risk of becoming doubtful and disillusioned by higher education.
Work Cited
Burke, Lilah. “Survey Outlines Student Concerns 10 Months into Pandemic.” Inside Higher Ed, Web.