As of today, it has been 51 days since the lockdown started in the UK. The days before it was announced were surreal, with an uneasy feeling hanging over our last few lectures as we knew we might not see each other for a while. Coronavirus has had an impact on everyone in different ways and most students are facing unique problems.
As a student living away from home, I faced the decision of staying in Aberdeen to prevent risking my family’s health as well as continue my studies. Despite everything, coursework and online lectures have continued as normal. Only one of our assignments was cancelled due to it involving working with a local business for a media project. Instead, the module is being assessed on a report and plan we submitted earlier in the semester. As much as this meant we had less work to do and less stress to deal with- this also meant we couldn’t be graded fairly. Thankfully, the lecturers graded us generously due to the circumstances. Other modules have been adapted to the lockdown and lecturers have been hosting weekly Zoom calls to give us support, making it easier for us to work from home.
Other students have not been as lucky. I contacted Amberley Greensmith, a contemporary art practice student at RGU who is due to graduate this year. The lockdown has not only made her graduation unpredictable but is possibly putting her grades on the line, “As a 4th year CAP student, it has really affected what I had planned for the year, I no longer have access to the equipment, workshops and supplies that I need to complete my project so I will not have any completed finish pieces to be graded on. My biggest hindrance is that I don’t really have access to WiFi, I moved down to my mum’s house for the duration of the lockdown and since she had just moved, we have had difficulty getting WiFi set up.”
I ask Amberley if the lockdown will affect her degree, “I’m not sure, I’m hoping that they will take in to account the limitations that have been put on us, I don’t think our year will have the same opportunities after graduating that other years have had, we have always been told that the degree show is the gateway into our professional careers after art school and now that’s been closed we’re all just wondering what’s going to happen.”
Being in lockdown has been difficult for all of us, especially those of us that are away from home during the outbreak. My friend and classmate, Andreea Gheorghita is self-isolating in student accommodation in Aberdeen, more than 2,000 miles away from her family in Romania, “I’m mostly dealing with being away from home pretty well. Probably because I’m away from my family and friends for most of the year, so it doesn’t make an enormous difference. The only real difference is that the atmosphere is more tense than normal. At least in my case, I don’t feel as much of an emotional impact, so I’ve been doing my coursework as usual. Maybe it’s because I left Romania two years ago and since then, I only go back home for a couple of months, mainly staying here for the rest of the year.”
Healthcare and nursing students are undoubtedly the most involved in the COVID-19 outbreak out of all of us students as a lot of them are volunteering at hospitals to help the NHS cope with the overwhelming amount of pressure that has stemmed from the virus. I spoke to Fiona Mc, a healthcare student at RGU, “We finished placement just as self-isolation began and we were supposed to return to uni. We kinda just had to adjust to the theory being put online. As for our future placements, we aren’t really sure what will happen to them. It’s all very uncertain at the moment.”
Healthcare students like Fiona have had practical experience in hospitals before while on placement but this time things will be slightly different, “I’m nervous for all the student volunteers. A lot of my classmates are spread out across the country at the moment due to the pandemic. It’s scary not knowing what will happen and when things will go back to normal.”
I ask Fiona if she thinks that student volunteers are gaining the amount of appreciation as they deserve, “I think those who are volunteering are definitely appreciated. The staff in all areas of healthcare are grateful for them and the universities are proud of all volunteering students. As much as it’s nice to be appreciated, at the end of the day, it’s our job and we aren’t looking for credit.”
This pandemic has caught everyone unawares with how fast it has travelled and spread but I think students, in particular, are struggling to plan around the lockdown. Adapting to online lectures and uncompleted coursework with limited support has been difficult for every student no matter what university they go to or course they are studying. Some students were studying abroad or on placement when Coronavirus started spreading and has left them in an unstable situation. Many students are lucky enough to spend the lockdown at home with their families but are unsure of what will happen with their grades, placements or graduation. Those of us who are unaffected by the virus itself are grateful for our position no matter how difficult it is.
When everything returns to normal we will never complain about coursework or going to university again. We will never turn down a night out to sit and watch TV alone. We will appreciate seeing our friends and family again. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait.
Photography: Ryan Duff
Thrifty Mango 
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