The prolonged coronavirus period has caused an unprecedented well-being crisis for students. The challenges of students’ coping have only been properly addressed now that there has been over a year of distance learning alone at home. The well-being of students has been investigated by numerous surveys, which clearly show the effect of the coronavirus situation on study ability and coping. Various surveys and reports on the topic are essential, as the researched information allows us to more effectively direct support measures to where they benefit the students the most.
In the autumn of 2020, TREY conducted a survey on the effects of the coronavirus situation on the lives of the students in Tampere. The survey was conducted because TREY needed more information about students’ experiences on the effects of the coronavirus period on studying and well-being. TREY received plenty of responses, almost 1,400!
In the autumn 2020 survey, we saw many shocking numbers. Studying at home posed challenges for 61% of respondents. Half of the respondents felt that the restriction of access rights had a disadvantageous effect on their well-being and made it more difficult for them to study. 67% felt that distance learning has weakened their ability to study. A total of 58% of respondents believed that distance learning is harmful to their studies. Many open responses said how “It works in the short term but not in the long term. When looking at lecture recordings, teachers cannot be asked for help. When you can’t study with friends, everything feels really stressful. It feels like I have to do it all alone.” Now, after a year, we can no longer talk about short term.
What does the situation of our students look like now that there is a year of being remote behind us? This is what we want to find out with a new coronavirus survey that opens on 20 April. We are concerned about the coping, loneliness, and livelihood of students in Tampere, and whether the support measures offered so far have worked.
What exactly do the results do? The results of this new survey, like the results of the old survey, will be distributed to the entire university community in the form of a report and a summary. The results will also be presented to various University operators and interest groups, including the University management. The results add weight to our advocacy work when we can rely on the researched information and the experiences of a large group of students. Among other things, we influence the University’s coronavirus policies and the support measures offered to students. The results will also help us at TREY to shape our own activities and better understand what kind of support we could provide.
Answering the coronavirus survey and sharing your own experiences is a concrete place for each student to influence. It only takes twenty minutes to answer, but the impact is great. With the results, we get a better picture of the needs of students, we know how to do better advocacy work, and we are able to provide help more effectively to those who need it the most. So, do the advocacy act of your life and answer our survey from 20 April. Here is a poem to boost the answering!
Coronavirus
No study ability
Hard to study at home
Lonely
We are worried
The results do
Important
By answering, you influence