Opinion, Uncategorised

Opinion: Coronavirus is more than just a problem for our health, it’s affecting my education too

0 137

At 21:10, Monday 16th March, I received an email from my tutors stating that Manchester Metropolitan University has decided to stop all face-to-face teaching, effective immediately.

As a third and final year student, my heart dropped. I have deadlines, assignments due in less than two weeks and I am in utter panic mode. Not because I think I may contract COVID-19 but rather because at this point, I’m seriously worried about the fate of my degree.

Manchester Met Vice-Chancellor, Malcolm Press, also announced the news on the university’s website. He stated: “We will accelerate our plans to move teaching online and will stop face to face teaching immediately.”

Further information included changes to assessments, as the university are planning alternatives to their usual assessment processes, particularly exams.

As the university’s decision was made following the Prime Minister’s statement made just hours earlier, Manchester Met did a pretty good job of informing students about this change as soon as possible. While it is not at all the universities fault, students are now left in very uncertain, stressful times, worrying about the future of their education.

“During this global crisis, stressed, depressed third year students need more support,” says final year student Sadia Akhtar.

We were emailed about the possibility of teaching ending on the 27th March, but the latest news still feels very sudden. Perhaps because the Government didn’t take the safety precautions of the coronavirus as seriously as they should have, like other countries did.

Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s initial statement on the virus, people across the country were left disappointed with the lack of action being taken to prevent the spread of the pandemic.

Students are experiencing a lot of anxiety, which is not the fault of the tutors who are experiencing much of the same thing, but surely there needs to be some kind of special consideration in place for everyone affected by this. Our education has hit a brick wall due to a global pandemic! When has there ever been more reason for extenuating circumstances?

“I feel like it’s a very anxious and unsettling time and hopefully students are given more support in the process,” says English and Multimedia Journalism student Siddra Asghar.

Given the possibility of alternative assessments taking place so last minute, there are further concerns about the change to graduation. Will this be delayed? Will we even still have a graduation ceremony? The one day we spent years working towards? The future for students remains very uncertain right now and we can only hope that the university continues to offer as much support as possible.

About the author / 

Razeena Patel

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More News Stories:

  • Kaytranada @ Co-Op Live review – a timeless performance

    Featured image and gallery: Jack Oliver After eight packed out performances across Europe Kaytranada arrives at Co-Op Live for his largest show on the European leg of his ‘Timeless Tour’. The 23,000 capacity venue is filled with excited fans who eagerly anticipate the start of the show after energetic performances from Pomo, Lou Phelps and…

  • From Feed to Feet: How gorpcore fashion has boosted communities of young men to walk and talk

    Featured image: Olivia Taberner and Adomas Lukas Petrauskas From Arc’teryx raincoats to mud-clogged Salomons, we explore how outdoor garments have evolved from fashion trends to functional wear – bringing together communities of young men in the process. What began as a Patagonia jacket and a sunrise ambition soon turned into getting “battered at 3am by…

  • The Success of Moss Side filmmaker Baka Bah: “Whenever I do say where I’m from, I automatically see labels pinging over my head”

    Featured image: Yas Lucia Mascarenhas and Adomas Lukas Petrauskas Manchester’s inner-city neighbourhood of Moss Side is often portrayed in the media as a dangerous area, plagued by knife crime and shootings. However, one resident and Manchester Met student – Baka Bah – believes this one-sided story doesn’t reflect the true spirit of his community. While…

  • Queer Lit: Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ bookstore on building a legacy in Manchester

    Featured image: Molly Goble and Nicola Henry In the last five years, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people have risen by 112%, underscoring the critical need for safe, inclusive spaces where queer individuals can find a sense of belonging. Amid this crisis, Queer Lit has emerged as a sanctuary in the form of a literary refuge…