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Students

Just want to reach out to people that are maybe at college or university.

How are things?

Are you still motivated and are you ok with remote learning?

I've now got a rediculous pile of work and revision to do tomorrow. It's mostly due to the fact that I was on a big pause today and hit a brick wall with a particular subject. I got through it in the end, just took a while.

I plan to get up at 6am tomorrow and shove in all the things I've been planning to do within the last 4 days.

Partially due to the fact that I have to work Wednesday. Shot myself in the foot with that one.

It's now a likely possibility everyone will be returning mid March??

I think
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Comments

  • Just about finished the teaching part of my undergraduate degree last year before everything kicked off with Covid and the first lockdown. Didn't mind remote working then so much as the impact was minimal with just doing exam revision and then sitting "take-home exams". That probably worked in my favour.  

    Now doing a postgraduate degree and the remote learning isn't great. Feeling pretty isolated without the normal interaction you'd get with teaching staff, and really struggle to stay focused when watching lectures on Zoom (don't mind not having to physically go in so much though). 
  • Its a pretty horrific experience honestly. 

    The take home exams are certainly easier than having to travel to the exam centre and deal with that whole process, which I can appreciate.

    I'd agree with MattF's comments about the recorded lectures- its like watching a very poorly made presentation with no real interaction, lecturers that still seemingly have no grasp on how to use Teams whilst telling us we're still recieving the 'same high quality tuition'. 

    The University has already said they aren't returning even if allowed to in March, the internal mental health services are snowed under with a 4+ week wait for initial consultation (that's just to acknowledge the referral exists and see what you need). The isolation is really beginning to get to people - its pretty soul destroying day in day out not seeing anyone whilst the university insist they're prioritising student welfare and providing ample opportunity for socialising. 

    Motivation's been pretty poor but I think that's to be expected. Its hard to focus on and get excited for stuff that is often quite abstract when you're being confronted with a very strange reality each day. 
  • MattF said:
    Just about finished the teaching part of my undergraduate degree last year before everything kicked off with Covid and the first lockdown. Didn't mind remote working then so much as the impact was minimal with just doing exam revision and then sitting "take-home exams". That probably worked in my favour.  

    Now doing a postgraduate degree and the remote learning isn't great. Feeling pretty isolated without the normal interaction you'd get with teaching staff, and really struggle to stay focused when watching lectures on Zoom (don't mind not having to physically go in so much though). 

    Planning on being a school teacher?

    Yeh it probably helps when you can at least talk about things face to face with people who are in the same position.

    I miss attending at 9am and enjoying the day.

    I now struggle to even be awake by 9.

    Then just get mildly depressed and start the day in a slow manner.

    Remind myself to fight against it though. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. 
  • Its a pretty horrific experience honestly. 

    The take home exams are certainly easier than having to travel to the exam centre and deal with that whole process, which I can appreciate.

    I'd agree with MattF's comments about the recorded lectures- its like watching a very poorly made presentation with no real interaction, lecturers that still seemingly have no grasp on how to use Teams whilst telling us we're still recieving the 'same high quality tuition'. 

    The University has already said they aren't returning even if allowed to in March, the internal mental health services are snowed under with a 4+ week wait for initial consultation (that's just to acknowledge the referral exists and see what you need). The isolation is really beginning to get to people - its pretty soul destroying day in day out not seeing anyone whilst the university insist they're prioritising student welfare and providing ample opportunity for socialising. 

    Motivation's been pretty poor but I think that's to be expected. Its hard to focus on and get excited for stuff that is often quite abstract when you're being confronted with a very strange reality each day. 

    Can completely relate to that mentality.

    The most recent assignment I sent in was piss poor. I can alter it and resend it.

    It's probable that everyone else in my class feels in a similar way.

    The tutors do well on the teams remote learning. I feel bad if there is a vague silence when it sounds like they are putting effort in and trying to keep everyone focused.
  • First year uni student.

    Horrific is the best word to describe it. Although the universities are of course in a very hard position, there’s been very little support offered outside ‘we care about you and want to help’ platitudes, which is meaningless. I had one online meeting in the first week with my academic tutor and nothing since. Lectures are either pre recorded (sometimes just recycled recordings from 5 or 6 years ago) or ‘live’, but with none to very little interaction within it and technical problems throughout.

    The fact of the matter is that universities are woefully unprepared for online learning, even at this stage. Large amounts of the reading list for example aren’t digitised and available online. One of my textbooks has an online version, but can only be accessed by one person at a time - this is for a module with just shy of 200 people on it, so you can imagine the chances of doing that.

    Government have offered no support in any way, perhaps because they know students won’t vote for them anyway so why bother? Tuition fees are the same. There is no ‘no detriment’ policy to protect students who may struggle under these conditions. Motivation is rock bottom across the board. 

    Away from the studying side, the living situation is almost offensive. Security patrol the accommodation and have the authority to go into any flat at any time (I’m not sure if this is allowed in ‘normal’ times, but even if is it is unacceptable). Police patrol the accommodation also. I know of 4 people who copped £200 fines because they were outside having a smoke and one of them wasn’t from the same flat as the other three.

    Some may say ‘why go to uni this year?’. Most people my age had spent 6 months twiddling their thumbs at home before September. Travelling, apprenticeships and work were all largely non options. Sitting at home for another year was not appealing, and unis promised a ‘blended learning experience’, which most took to mean at least some decent level of in person teaching. This hasn’t happened.

    Sorry for the rant, but it’s an almost universal opinion among students that we’ve been completely ignored at all stages of the pandemic.

    Sorry to hear this and the rant is welcome.

    Keep your chin up.



  • edited February 2021
    Very sorry to hear all of this. What an awful time to be at uni. Hope that better days are ahead.
  • Sounds dire for all concerned.  I feel for anyone at University at the moment - hope you are all ok.  

    I would say that the lecturers could be doing better; teachers were expected to adjust so why shouldn’t they ? Delivering a lecture on zoom should be easy and seminars can be made interactive very easily. 
  • Interesting and heartbreaking to read. Not something I  - and many others I am sure - had any idea about, you guys and girls seem to have been forgotten; as @CroydonAddick1 says, probably not a priority for this government. Stay strong and safe people, you are our future. 
  • Appalling that fees are the same as normal years.

    Keep your chin up guys, hopefully it won’t be long now.
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  • Feel for you guys. 
    Don’t know whether it is better to be an on campus student or live at home student in this situation.  

    You should have taken a gap year and gone trav... oh hang on. 
  • Greenwich University are delivering flour, eggs, milk and lemon juice to their student halls today.

    Nice touch.
  • Massively feel for students. My uni experience consisted of going to student nights and getting off with girls by night and by day smoking spliffs and playing fifa with my mates. None of those you can do... ah yeah and of course the mountains of debt you’re getting into when you can’t even go to lectures. Absolute con.
  • I had planned to go to Goldsmiths this September on a History degree. Have decided to wait until teaching is fully restored as it was the meeting of new people that motivated me as much as the learning.

    I feel for those at college, university etc right now. It must be very difficult.
  • Massively feel for students. My uni experience consisted of going to student nights and getting off with girls by night and by day smoking spliffs and playing fifa with my mates. None of those you can do... ah yeah and of course the mountains of debt you’re getting into when you can’t even go to lectures. Absolute con.
    I think the 1st part pretty much sounds like a dream for everyone
  • wmcf123 said:
    Sounds dire for all concerned.  I feel for anyone at University at the moment - hope you are all ok.  

    I would say that the lecturers could be doing better; teachers were expected to adjust so why shouldn’t they ? Delivering a lecture on zoom should be easy and seminars can be made interactive very easily. 
    It partly feels like arrogance. We still have lecturers refusing to record their lectures as 'attendance to my lectures should be a priority' which when we have quite a few on the course who care for relatives or of course catching COVID, is just an extra kick in the teeth. There are always legitimate reasons why one may miss a lecture, but in the midst of a pandemic there are certainly a few more. 

    Throw in the university on a number of occasions only providing promised food parcels to students who were isolating in accomodation about a week after they'd finished isolating, and I'm not going to be shocked if this year's National Student Survey makes pretty grim reading for what is supposedly a top university. 
  • Are there any engineering students?

    Possibly discuss things if you'd like
  • Crappy breakfast and 3 hour sleep via pressure to sleep well...didn't do me any favour.
    Got loads to do but a long walk and fresh air sounds a lot more appealing.
  • Feel really sorry for you guys. It's been dreadful for all of us but students have been hit hardest. Glad my son delayed a year - thanks to the stupid A-level algorithym. 
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  • It has been tough for Uni students. My daughter is in her final year so has missed half ‘the fun’ as they say. Just heard today her graduation is cancelled which didn’t go down well. She’s stayed at home and not gone back to Uni as didn’t see the point.

    my youngest is due to go in September but am talking to her about taking a year out and going in 2022 or even 2023 if necessary.
  • Addickted said:
    Greenwich University are delivering flour, eggs, milk and lemon juice to their student halls today.

    Nice touch.
    Yup - CatJnr said they got a 'pancake kit' - though I'm sure they'll actually see if there's any way of fermenting it ;-)

    Must be horrible for first years especially if they're on their own, at least with his cohort they are used to going to labs and out on placement so they've got a good bubble who are sensible(ish) as they've seen it all up close and personal.   Still strange when you ask 'how was your Friday night?' and the answer is 'Couple of bottles of Aldi wine and played Monopoly...'
  • My son is doing ok at Bournemouth, but it is frustrating for him, missing out on the quality of education and fun. I think students have been forgotten a bit by the Government.
  • edited February 2021
    I think the responses pretty much highlight just how c*nt-ey the government are.

    Like they would actually forget about students needs. Of course they haven't.

    They just don't care....
  • Daughter doing 2nd yr nursing. Only getting about 4-5 contact hours a week, usually 15+. She's been home last few months and still having to pay £500+ pcm for student digs (of course). 
    A friend of hers had the police round after a friend in a group chat tipped off the police about a house party that got organised. The police were calm and polite and just had a quiet word. 
  • Daughter doing 2nd yr nursing. Only getting about 4-5 contact hours a week, usually 15+. She's been home last few months and still having to pay £500+ pcm for student digs (of course). 
    A friend of hers had the police round after a friend in a group chat tipped off the police about a house party that got organised. The police were calm and polite and just had a quiet word. 

    This virus has permanently altered a lot of things.

    I just can't imagine there being an announcement to suggest house parties are now legal. You can now officially do whatever you want in this sense...again.

    A relative government power struggle has risen due to the virus. I doubt they will suddenly be able to let everything return to normal in this sense.
  • edited February 2021
    .
  • A question for people doing science and similar degrees.  How are they managing your lab work, seeing as you can't set up a chemistry/physics/engineering etc. lab at home?
  • Daughter doing 2nd yr nursing. Only getting about 4-5 contact hours a week, usually 15+. She's been home last few months and still having to pay £500+ pcm for student digs (of course). 
    A friend of hers had the police round after a friend in a group chat tipped off the police about a house party that got organised. The police were calm and polite and just had a quiet word. 
    <whispers>"you're nicked".
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