All of us are facing scary and uncertain times right now. However, we all feel an overwhelming gloom of uncertainty and lack of control over our lives, and our academic status as a result of Covid-19.

We worry this will lead to poor results, chronic long term illnesses deteriorating and dropouts which is why we NEED to be supported further through open communication with departments, and us STUDENTS on the best course of action for the changes to our teaching, and deadlines as this is OUR FUTURES ON THE LINE. 

Final year students (inc Masters & PhD students) like many others are currently facing major disruptions to our lives. University Students have been left out of most discussions regarding the changes to our daily lives as part of the governments (ever concerning action plan to 'delay' the spread). Most institutions are unsure of how to operate as normal as possible, including universities. However, enough is ENOUGH. Our anxiety festers as we await any concrete information about our academic status.

Meanwhile, schools have all now been closed, with exams being CANCELLED. We applaud this action which can at least take some of the pressure off our younger students. However, university students are now expected to just adapt to ‘remote’ learning. This action is understandable but it does not take into consideration factors such as;

1) A large number of students are dealing with difficult family circumstances - unable to return home or being forced to. 

2) Travel is dangerous. The displacement caused by sudden uprooting is mentally and physically draining.

3) We did not enrol at University to take online classes.

4) Not everyone has access to reliable internet, computers or suitable work environments at home.

5) We are struggling right now, and finding motivation in a time like this can be incredibly demanding.

We have all just faced 4 weeks of strike action which again has had a big impact on many students mental health due to disruptions to our daily lives, and to top it off we are now expected to produce work which is meant to be our best pieces of work in a climate where there is so much uncertainty about our future. 

Most of us third years want to complete our dissertations but we are struggling to think straight right now, and this burden is just going to continue to wear down our mental health, and eventually our physical health. So we are asking for universities to:

1) Make final exams and essays optional for students - students should be able to choose to take their mark ‘as is’ or complete an exam/essay if they are able/want to improve their mark. 

2) We do not want our dissertations to be cancelled, because this is a continuation of the research that we have been undertaking since the last semester and is a major aspect of our degrees enabling us to specialise in an area of our choice. 

3) Greater leniency for all of us by pushing back dissertation deadlines to the very latest point to allow for us to adapt to these new circumstances, and so we can now have some time to look after ourselves both physically, and mentally to ensure we can produce work that will enhance the fields of research to which they will apply. 

We are suggesting these changes based on a range of factors: 

- Students are cut off from their supervisors. Even if the libraries remain open, it remains a dangerous place for immunocompromised people. It is also difficult to be on campus or in the library with the anxiety caused by the virus. Health officials advise all people to engage in social distancing and self-isolation if sick. Going to the library is outside of that recommendation. Further, most students adapt to working in libraries and working from home is a big challenge for many of us, especially as most of us no longer live at home.

- Students may be reliant on access to physical resources - labs, testing equipment, software, access to external archives and resources, and books - should receive further leniency, amendments and extensions.

- Guidelines should be provided on how to write project reports for students undergoing research projects who have only been able to acquire half as much data as they should have.

- Some of us have now faced up to 4 sets of strikes during our time at university with no refunds, ever. This academic year alone there have been 2 sets of strikes. Strikes significantly impact routines and lead to a lot of students becoming demotivated due to a lack of personal engagement further impacting mental health.  

- Sixty-four per cent of the university student population (and 83 per cent of the undergraduate population) are between 16 and 24 years old, an age group that is particularly vulnerable to mental health issues.

- The material in the final year is already challenging enough without the vital support of our tutors, seminars and in-person contact hours which help our understanding and engagement of the content. 

- We have barely any material eligible for examination. 

- Personal engagement is essential to most people with learning difficulties.

- 34% of students report having psychological difficulties for which they needed professional help (many many more cases go unreported due to the nature of such difficulties) 

- ‘Study’ was also found to be the primary stressor among university students in a YouGov survey, as reported by 71 per cent of students. Stress alone is not a diagnosable mental illness, but excessive, poorly managed, and prolonged stress can have a detrimental impact on psychological health and can subsequently lead to common mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. 

- Anxiety can trigger your flight-or-fight stress response and release a flood of chemicals and hormones, like adrenaline, into your system.

- If you repeatedly feel anxious and stressed or it lasts a long time, your body never gets the signal to return to normal functioning. This can weaken your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to viral infections and frequent illnesses.

- Not everyone has a reliable internet connection or access to a home computer, they should have the option to take their mark as is.  

- Mature students and carers have additional responsibilities that impact their ability to complete their work.

- Other Universities like UCLA have implemented similar policies.

Now is not the time for anyone to have to worry about anything but our families, our friends and our health. We should not be subject to university deadlines during this time.

Please support us students in this uncertain and frightening time. We have worked so hard to get to this point in our academic lives. To have this disruption to our most important years is very disappointing. We have supported endless petitions circulating at present regarding workers rights, UBI, freelance workers etc...now we would appreciate it if you could also take this time to support us.

Life is stressful enough, we can't handle much more. Please help us find some certainty in these uncertain times. 

Yours sincerely,

An anxious student speaking on behalf of ALL of the fellow Third-year Urban Studies & Planning/Geography students at the University of Sheffield.

*This is not just aimed at our university, but everyone student who is struggling in the same situation. Let's come together and push for what's right. Enough is ENOUGH!

Stay safe, stay calm, stay strong x