UNIVERSITY LIFE
Student life, but not as we know it S o, w h at h a s i t b e e n like t o s t ud y a nd li ve s t ud e nt li fe d ur ing t he p a nd e mic? W hile t he re are obv iou sl y a num b e r of dr aw b ac k s , t he s t ud e nt s we h ave s poke n t o al so se e ad v a nt a ge s . text A N D E R S B E R N DT photo P R I VAT E , J U L I Á N M AC H U C A
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n March 2020, all teaching at Uppsala University went digital overnight. “Teachers have battled and deserve praise; they have really given it their best. That said, unfortunately the experience has been worse for us students. I don’t believe we have learnt as much during this period and I think that will be apparent in the future,” says Linnea Lindström, a student in the Bachelor’s Programme in Political Science. According to Linnea, the dynamic of teaching is lost when it takes place digitally. “One shouldn’t underestimate the value of those small conversations, after and before a seminar for example,” she points out. ANTHONY GUNDSTEDT,
a student in the Master’s Programme in Electrical Engineering, has had a somewhat different experience. As someone in a programme that usually involves a great deal of timetabled teaching, he describes the opportunity
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to choose when to listen to recorded lectures as a bit of a luxury. “You can organise your study time yourself. There has however been less interaction, as many people listen afterwards,” says Anthony. Medical student Rodi Misto has also experienced a reduction in everyday stress. “There’s no need to make the trip to campus and it’s nice to be able to watch any lectures you might miss afterwards. This has provided a level of flexibility that should be utilised in future, though motivation has been a problem,” says Rodi. THE PROBLEM OF staying
motivated is one that Mimmi Synnergren, who is studying history and literature, recognises. Her subjects generally involve less timetabled teaching. “Personally, it’s been a struggle; I’ve really missed that contact with teachers,” says Mimmi. “We used to spend a lot of time in Carolina, the University Library,
discussing and chatting. We tried sitting there at the start of the pandemic but it felt a little irresponsible. But it’s difficult to stay focused sitting in your digs alone.” All four emphasise the importance of having fellow students to study and hang out with. “I feel so sorry for freshers who started during the pandemic. I’ve maintained a clique of three or four friends who have continued
to meet, and that has been really important. I don’t know how I would have managed being completely alone,” says Linnea. WHEN THE PANDEMIC broke
out, some students chose to return home to their families. Linnea, however, chose to remain in her 19 square metre student apartment. “Mental wellbeing has had to be sacrificed in the interests of dealing with the pandemic
