Hello there. I’m disappointed with the hostility and hate that the pandemic has brought out in people. At a time when we should be united and comforting one another, the opposite has happened. Hate is never necessary, so, why am I reading and hearing negative and hateful comments around the group that I, and 2.38 million others, belong to – students. The Government, who continually fail to mention us in 'announcements, is certainly not the only group I’ve seen discriminating against students. The Media is to blame for influencing public opinion by often showing students in a negative light, such as partying and, consequently, many feel it’s okay to tarnish students with one brush, blaming them for rises in cases, blaming them for returning back to University, the list of blame goes on and on. This shocks me because, by thinking every student behaves the same, you are describing your future Nurses, Doctors, Psychologists, Entrepreneurs, Engineers, to name a few. I’m aware that, although everyone is living different experiences, this year is hard for everyone across all age groups and backgrounds and I empathise with everyone. However, I feel students are the main group consistently targeted and hated on, based on inaccurate representations. So, what do we do? We try and stand up for the injustice being made against us. The response we get? That we think we’re “special”, or that we are “moaning”. I’ve been told multiple times “Be grateful for what you have!” and “All that young people prioritise is socialising, when they should be lucky that they are living” or “In the war, young people were recruited to fight, thank god you aren’t in their position.” It’s almost as though, because we aren’t in the worse situation or the situation they’re comparing us to, anything we say - our problems and feelings – doesn’t matter. Our concerns are ‘not genuine’ or ‘valid’ and that we should be silenced and not ‘moan’. People are failing to consider how this could make someone feel, for example, the boy who experiences suicidal thoughts because of being trapped in his University room and, after reading nasty comments on Social Media from people like this. These types of nasty and unhelpful remarks only contribute to more mental health issues and suicides. Of course, we recognise that lots of people have had an extremely hard year, and we are not reducing the value of anyone’s feelings. However, we have a right and deserve to defend this misconception about us. Before making judgements of students, people should start by trying to understand and empathise what the reality actually is for them: My story began on a Thursday morning in March 2020 at Sixth Form, when my Form Tutor announced we would not be returning the week after. We quickly arranged a spontaneous ‘end of Sixth Form’ event for the following day, giving thanks to our teachers for all they had done for us. We still thought, at this stage, we would be able to get together at a later date for our much looked-forward to and deserved Prom that every other year had enjoyed. This could not be rearranged. During this bittersweet last day, my A Level Drama peers and I had to film our half-finished performance, in case it was needed as evidence to show our potential. It was then that it hit me – that unfinished work was potentially going to be used towards predicting my grades. Little did we know, that really was it - the end of our 7-year school journey, over in a flash. This was followed by being a in state of uncertainty for months about whether our exams were actually going ahead. We constantly thought, ‘what if the 2 years of hard work spent studying for A Levels was all for nothing?’. However, I do not blame anyone; who knows, during an unprecedented time where students are physically unable to sit exams, what the right decision is? Delay the academic year? Produce a method to generate grades? Who would know how to deal with the futures of so many students, in the fairest way? We eventually found out that, our exams were, indeed, cancelled. Devastated, we did not get the chance to sit in the hall and achieve our A Levels. Moving miles away from home and from family to University is an anxiety-provoking time for students around the country, every year. Moving in the midst of a national pandemic, however, is a deeply anxious feeling that I can only begin to try and explain. “University is the best years of your life” they say. You socialise, meet life-long friends, make once in a life-time memories and, of course, study a degree you’re fascinated by, surrounded by people who share the same passion as you. And a whole lot more. Yet the reality for the Class of Covid has been far from this. During the first few months of Uni, I think meeting new people and making friends is imperative, not only for obvious social reasons but, because the way this is a distraction and helps people get through the already daunting time. The reality of 2020 is it’s against the law to mix with flats and meet with other people. This only results in seclusion and low mood, and no one to turn to, from living with family to being couped up in an isolated room. On top of this, a huge factor of University is joining societies - an opportunity to develop skills and nurture a passion for a sport or hobby you may never have found. I was excited to join the Dance Society but this was taken away from me, and replaced with incomparable zoom calls, practicalities limiting. I’m not experiencing anywhere near half of the facilities I am paying for. When I arrived at Halls of Residence, I did not expect my room to become my very own makeshift ‘lecture hall’; a place where I would be studying all my lectures, every day. A small box room, not differing much to that of a prison cell. I stare at my laptop screen watching pre-recorded videos of PowerPoints slides, instead of an interactive real-life lecturer, for hours upon hours until my eyes hurt. It’s vital to remember that I, like many others, signed up for and, was promised a mixture of face-to-face lectures and small group sessions, which clearly changed very quickly as soon as we arrived. To this day (January 2021) I haven’t stepped one foot into my University and it’s unlikely I will ever get the opportunity to in my First Year. Yet I’m expected to pay the same amount as any normal year - £9250 - for what I’m experiencing, when it’s clearly far from the experience of any normal year. On top of all of this, we are expected to produce the same quality of work from these insufficient teaching methods. We have to complete exams with no extra consideration which are assessed and count towards our final degree – with no extra consideration for the anxious and depressing circumstances we are currently in. Students have been treated unfairly by the Government, the Universities themselves and, just as important, the general public. “It’s the lack of empathy that makes it very easy for us to plunge into hate and hostility.”

"I had high hopes for the year 2020, and it seemed to be going well until March 14th. That was the day it all went downhill. I even remember the exact date, because I was told I would be going on an extended spring break and that we would be back in class in two weeks. Well, that never happened. I never went back. The last eight weeks of my undergraduate career was not at all what I had envisioned. My graduation ceremony was canceled and I never got to say goodbye to people I had spent 3 and a half years with.

I spent what felt like years at home taking online classes to finish my degree. It was time to move on to the next phase of life. I was not looking forward to the summer because I had been hired to work at the Olympics in Tokyo, but instead, my first job post grad was the drive through window at Taco Bell.

There was one day I was told I had to work a double shift. After eleven hours of being on my feet, I drove home and plopped down on a chair. From the corner of my eye, I saw a large envelope on the dresser addressed to me. I opened it and immediately began to laugh hysterically.

There I was in my childhood bedroom sweating in my Taco Bell uniform opening my college diploma. I have never experienced anything more ironic, hilarious and sad at the same time.

Truthfully, I have to look back and say that there were some positives. Covid allowed me to spend time with my family that I would not have been able to otherwise. Although the visa process was delayed because of covid and I missed my initial flight to the UK, I was able to spend a few extra days at home to process the sudden loss of a family member.

Upon arrival in Kent, I spent two weeks confined to my flat. I spent the days facetiming anyone who wanted to talk so I did not have to feel alone. I thought I was going to lose my mind. As new flatmates began to move in, I started feeling like I had a support system here. Moving to the UK from New York in the midst of a pandemic may not have been my brightest idea, but it has been my bravest. I have no regrets coming here, and just like 2020, it is nothing like I had imagined."

"During a course rep meeting with University representatives earlier this academic year, the Vice-Chancellor Professor Nishan Canagarajah failed to guarantee that students would be reimbursed for this lack of service. One which was assured during the application phase. Even more infurtiating is the job cuts and redundancies being made during what is a dreadful and precarious time financially for many. The reason given for these redundancies was an effort to de-colonise the English Language and Linguistics curriculum, one that already boasts a ‘Multilingualism’ module and a staff that, from my experience, seem enthusiastic to encourage the study of different languages, different backgrounds and actively discourage language policing wherever offensive and unnecessary. I appreciate I’m not an expert and so want to avoid being so arrogant as to say there isn’t any issue with the MA’s curriculum, it’s not my place to assume such a thing. Decolonisation needs to be an ongoing effort and by no means should be ignored, however, this reasoning for the redundancies has since been withdrawn by the University after backlash from students and academics nationally. Perhaps I’m a sceptic, but it seems brilliant teaching staff are being sacrificed for a ‘quick-buck’ and during a period where people’s livelihoods are genuinely at stake (pardon the cliché). I hope this platform will allow the promotion of this cause, please sign this petition to help ensure future students receive quality education from experienced University staff at risk of losing their jobs. As much as I could complain about the study conditions during Covid (as I and any other student has the right to) it is the staff that have made it bearable and often as engaging as a normal year and it is only right this isn’t punished."

"As university students, we really felt we had been screwed over in terms of the abrupt changes to the plan for next year. We were told in October last year that our course would move to Canterbury for the 2021-22 academic year, which we were quite excited about, because it would have been a new experience for us. However, because of the whole Covid situation, we were only told a month ago that it wasn’t going to happen.

We wished we were told earlier, as my friends and I had already signed up for a student house in Canterbury and had paid deposits for it a few months ago. Unfortunately, it’s very hard to get out of a binding contract.

Even if we had to stay in our contract and just lived up in Canterbury, commuting from Canterbury to Medway for uni just wouldn’t have worked for us, as it’s an hour each way. We did not want to be spending all that time travelling to and from campus multiple days a week, especially when the studios and equipment we need to use are in Medway. It seemed like it would have been too much for us.

Recently, we were advised by the university to find new tenants for the Canterbury house, much to our dismay. We did not agree that this was the right course of action, so we expressed that to them. We believed that it was not our responsibility to find new tenants for the house, as the new plans for the next academic year were out of our control. Even if we had found new tenants, we had no idea what we would’ve had to do next.

Update: From what we can gather, it looks like we are finally out of the Canterbury house contract, after over a month of not much progress being made. However, it was not easy at all getting this sorted. It took a lot of pushing and chasing up with the university and letting agency from us as a group to get to this point. We are all so glad, because now that means we don’t have to stress or worry anymore about having to try and get out of a binding contract and having to find new tenants for the house.

I think this whole situation has proved to me that sometimes the fight is worth it, especially if it’s for something you believe strongly in and something you really want. We shouldn’t have had to fight for this, but we did, and it thankfully worked out in our favour."

"When Coronavirus first started, I was working in a fairly boring office job that I had planned to work in for a year between my History degree and then apply for a teaching course. When I applied, I thought, admittedly very hopefully, that 'It'll be over by the time I start'. Cases were on the down over summer, and with a competent government, combined with a world beating track and trace system what could possibly go wrong? When my teaching course started in September 2020, restrictions were in place in school; mask wearing, wiping down surfaces, hand sanitising, and social distancing. From September to December, these measures would get more severe, and instead of being at two schools in this period I just stayed at the one school. I was incredibly pleased about this change. I found the school I was at really supportive, with great members of staff who worked tirelessly to both teach students and help myself and the other trainees I met. The other trainees I met at this school were incredibly supportive, and I have remained in touch with them beyond leaving. I found the teaching and placements a great break from lockdown, obviously over the November lockdown schools remained open, and I was lucky enough to not catch coronavirus at any point. This meant that my experiences compared to other students will have been vastly different in this September-December period. I had met great people, developed teaching abilities, and found teaching extremely rewarding.

Over the Christmas break in 2020-21, I had assignments to do for the university side of the course, however, I was more worried about the rising cases and potential school closures, which were obviously confirmed on 4th January. Considering my grades from the recent assignments I handed in, maybe I should have worried more about these assignments. Also, I have now started teaching online, which has taught me many things about teaching online, the main one being to maybe not moan about online lectures being boring. Teaching online has come with obvious difficulties, and the higher attendance on lessons by higher ability groups says obvious things about the lack of laptops and Wifi for some students- or maybe it's just my teaching. Despite the supportive nature of the staff at my new school, it is not the same, and I have felt worse in the period January 2021 to now. I'm aware that I have been lucky to have a period where I was getting in-person learning, through my first placement, and do not understand how students who have had no in-person teaching have done it. As I write this, we are getting close to an announcement on- another, 'roadmap out of lockdown'. My simple hope is that this gives me a date close by to look forward to. I knew training to teach would be tough, just not this tough."