Forgotten third year university students in the age of corona

236,711 deaths in the UK overall, with 384 as of today. It is clear the Corona virus has halted life as we know it. Around the world many countries have been advised by their governments to take part in a self lockdown, as well as taking procationary steps when it comes to social distancing. Life as we know it will cease to exist, the way we shop, the way we interact with others and the way we educate. This in itself is an example of how in the age of the corona virus outbreak, university students, particularily those in their last year of education, have been neglected by both the government and society.

Through my own experiences, online classes, emails between students and tutors and being stuck in, lets face it, below standard housing has left many of us students, including myself, questioning the point in our degrees. Three years of hard work down the drainpipe. Not only is it estimated that it will take the country almost 3 years to recover economically. But with undergraduate unemployment increasing year by year, it is no wonder university students feel as though they have hit a brick wall in terms of career prospects. It may seem selfish for this to be one of the main concerns of university students, during a time of national crisis. But please understand, we are in debt, we are stuck away from our families, we are stressed beyond relief and our life prospects have been essentially cut to the minimum.

I have friends who have had family members pass away from Corona, I have friends who havent been able to cope with the stress and are now in hospital facing treatment for their mental health issues. And I have friends who are having to take out secondary loans as a means to cope in just affording the price of their rent. For a house which is falling apart, riddled with mould, technically unlivable and instead they are being forced to stay there.

Coronavirus is a particularily heated topic, everyone has been effecetd in some way or another. And although there have been measures put in place such as online exams and the postponment of GCSE'S. The only measures put in place for university students is a safety net policy to promise that their grades will not be affected by a lack of classes. I myself have been extremely lucky in that my lecturers are constantly checking on their students and have made every material possible, available to us.

However, not every university student is so lucky. I cant help but feel as these are temporary measures, they are therefore - merely - temporary solutions to a rather large problem which we will see the affects of many years to come from this point on. University students, mainly third years are finding it hard to figure out their footing in this new climate. We are unsure of the future and we do not know where to turn.

For many, these spring to summer months would have been the time in which we would discover what our career prospects were. Interviews, internships and the securing of our futures. But now, we are having to, like many, adapt to our new futures. Futures of unemployment and mountains of debt we will never be able to pay off.