Confusion amid the university crisis

The pandemic robbed her of the chance to sit A levels. But she ended up with three As and is now studying journalism at the University of Brighton (Eastbourne campus).

Here is her latest contribution.

"After Boris’ most recent briefing he made one thing painfully clear. He must be entirely allergic to the word ‘university’. Of course in an address to the nation it would be impossible for the prime minister to mention every relevant sector and institution, but I think I speak for many university students when I say that I exhaled a deep sigh after he stated the fate of primary schools, secondary schools and colleges, and then continued on to his next point. Now of course the government website is the destination that many flock to after Boris has rounded up one of his often bemusing reports, however to discover on GOV.UK after trawling through countless coronavirus-related pages that you now cannot return to university for at least a month later than anticipated really does add to the blow. I spent the majority of Monday evening messaging equally as confused friends, all wondering what this meant for us and whether we would actually return to campus before the year 2078.

"As always in my column, I would like to make it clear that I am entirely aware that compared to what many are facing in the world, returning to university is hugely insignificant. I consider myself especially grateful to have spent the majority of the first term learning in the classroom, but these articles are meant purely to portray my experiences as a student, and I hope to represent the feelings of many individuals battling the education system in the current climate. The government have taken these precautions with our safety in mind, but many of the outcomes of this decision have left many students scratching their heads.

"The overriding question that has been circulating social media in the past week has been the case of accommodation and housing. Students were told to travel home for the holidays at the beginning of December and are now being asked to return only towards the end of February, leaving halls considerably empty for a period of nearly three months. With the majority of residents around the UK paying between £120 and £170 a month, requests of compensation are bound to be demanded and fingers will be pointed, but then comes the next question of where the accommodation providers are supposed to source this money, and then how this will correlate with student loans. I admit that I was at first shocked when considering the financial loss suffered compared to the experience that we are receiving, but whether we blame the university, the government or the general public for the current situation, it unfortunately won’t make the money appear out of a hat or decrease the risks of returning to university any sooner.

"I would be the first to hold my hands up and admit that I am not finding any of this a walk in the park, but the knowledge that I am not alone and many others are feeling the same emotions is a needed reminder that this isn’t impossible. I would truly not be surprised if students were not told to return until a later date, but for now it is a case of doing what we can, where we can."