The global pandemic changed the way education and work are done. Everyone has been affected by the consequences of the pandemic one way or another. And even though we think the effect is small on kids and youngsters who are used to technology, this assumption might be wrong. Being a student in college comes with a specific charm.
There is something special about this period of one’s life. These are the years when they meet a lot of new people, make friends, and say yes to some incredible and spontaneous experiences. However, the pandemic took all these away from students and kids around the country. Spending so much time in isolation, not meeting your friends and colleagues comes with negative effects.
So, it seems that remote learning affects students’ wellness. But what do the therapists say?
Isolation
Isolation is the one that puts a huge toll on the well-being of students, but of teachers and educators too. Shifting to online education is a difficult thing to do. Many teachers had their courses adapted to face-to-face delivery. And we all know things are different online. Even though all students seem to be online and participating in the course, many of them are not present.
It is difficult to catch the attention of students when they are in a familiar environment. And when they have so many things to distract them. Engaging students in distance education is challenging. But as long as the current policies do not allow for it, online education will be the new thing. Even though in the short term this comes with positive effects, in the long run, it affects the wellness of students.
Isolation is one of the consequences of remote learning that is making everything harder. Students are isolated from their colleagues and friends, from the campus life they got used to. They not only took part in activities on the campus but also studied together with their colleagues or went to the library for books.
Even though they had multiple tasks to accomplish, college life was a hectic but social lifestyle. Opposite to what is now. Students are now feeling lonely and disconnected from others. And this is surely affecting their academic performance and motivation level.
Anxiety and Depression
All these effects are deeply connected and one leads to another. Isolation along with feelings of uncertainty leads to the development of mental health disorders. And as the virus mutates and new variants appear, more and more people get it.
Many students experienced family deaths too during these pandemic years. Which have surely disrupted their behavior that was already disrupted by lockdown and restrictions. It seems that the perfect environment for mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression to develop was created.
Many students struggle with anxious or depressive symptoms and some of them do not have any record of having them previous to the outbreak. While negative feelings and emotions are normal, intense and prolonged negative ones affect your wellness. They affect students’ ability to focus, be productive or even start working on their academic tasks. And besides their mental health, their academic progress is at risk too.
Managing Time
When you are suddenly forced to learn and study in an environment you were used to relaxing, things will get complicated. Remote learning has forced students to arrange a learning space in their rooms. And many of them didn’t even have enough space for this. Which comes with a lot of distractions that prevent you from focusing properly on your academic tasks.
Writing an essay on a specific topic is one of the tasks students have. But when there are a lot of them to write, you might feel overwhelmed. The same goes for the Quality Assessment of your papers, which means ensuring they are mistake-free. Students spend a lot of time on their tasks and this just adds up to the stress they are already feeling. Thankfully, a paper grader Edubirdie can make everything faster and better. Professionals are ready to help students overcome these academic obstacles and pursue their dreams.
Final Thoughts
The global pandemic forced colleges and universities around the world to shift to remote learning. While this change came with many positive effects, it also put a toll on students’ wellness.
Isolation has made them feel lonely and disconnected from others as they get less social support than they were used to and needed. Anxious and depressive symptoms slowly made their room into students’ lives and affected their time management skills. Returning to the classic way of learning will boost students’ well-being.
Author Bio: Emma Rundle is a content writer and journalist. She has documented the effects of a global pandemic on people’s mental health. Emma’s passion is psychology.
