“To be the best, overcome the worst,” longtime Arrow TV character Sara Lance said. Many have reported that living in the middle of a worldwide outbreak has been a challenge. A lot of students suffer from mental health issues. A significant number who are in college feel their experience has changed, “My experience has been so much harder and less fun. Last year, the dining hall did not exist. We were not allowed to visit other students. This really affected my ability to form new friendships,” driven college student Kate Kemper said.
It is hard to deal with the feelings of stress and worry caused by COVID. “It’s stressful because some people aren’t mindful. They don’t care. They could bring it into public areas. It’s affected my mental health by adding to the stress I have to deal with daily. I have been nervous around people as well,” current Tractor Supply Co. employee Evan Philbrook said. Every day brings a new level of stress. This causes feelings of anxiety. “My well-being has lessened over the course of college. The worry about getting myself or my friends sick has really weighed on me and every decision I make. My choice to attend an event causes stress and doubt. I cannot go over to a friend’s apartment for a relaxed night of board games without having to weigh the risks,” Kemper said.
This disease has brought questions of what a new normal looks like. It has brought more feelings of worry than hope. “It’s made life stressful because people have been getting worse and its scary!” Philbrook said. These feelings of constant worry in life have had an impact. “Yes, I think my mental health relies on my social life and friends. My mental health and support system have been affected,” Kemper said. A new life with COVID has left students feeling exhausted. Their mental health and overall well-being is being influenced.
With good reason, many who are in college feel that their way of learning has been affected. “COVID has affected my ability to learn. In changing it from in-person to virtual, it has been hard. I can learn through virtual learning, but it is difficult. I become distracted. In a classroom environment, I am more focused,” Kemper said. This is true for many. The feelings of frustration rise as virtual learning is taking over. These students mental health is further influenced by this. They feel many emotions, but are excited for the world to return to normal, hopefully, sometime in the near future.
