Deadlines, unrealistic due dates, and tests assembled by a group of people who haven’t been in school for years. Frustration from not understanding what others claim to be straightforward, and added stress to an already hefty plate. Add the possibility of being an athlete into that, juggling a job and family problems; that is the existence of a college student, but unfortunately, our personal lives aren’t considered by those teaching us.
Without a doubt, COVID-19 has played a considerable part in stunting Generation Z’s social and educational growth, which in turn causes the decline of mental health. Their lives were taken away from them swiftly when colleges across the nation were forced to close down and send millions of young adults home to be locked down in their homes. It was a terrible moment for many, and those who had been joyous about the news felt differently as the coming months passed. Fear increased because many students have older parents or grandparents who were at significant risk of contracting the disease or had contracted the disease themselves.
“A huge factor in the decline in students’ mental health (my own included) is the stress caused by classes and school. Schools don’t do nearly enough – they could make deadlines more flexible, provide more assistance and support to students, and develop a better understanding of the relationship between students’ lives and studies. Any student who feels they need extra time should be allowed it, regardless of disability, because many issues go undiagnosed in the healthcare and education system,” said Naomi Griffith, student.
Students who need extra time, assistance, or even therapy because of mental conditions should not be made to feel as though the crippling feelings they have are not valid. That is the last thing they should be done, but often that is what happens. Before Covid, the lack of care for students with mental health conditions was very much prevalent, and sadly, it will probably continue to be done. You could get a professor who cares about your well-being and wants you to succeed, so they help. Those are the ones who should be celebrated and give lectures to the other professors who do not.
“I had asked a professor for extra time because I was having panic attacks and I was depressed 24/7. My life was shit and thinking about school made me physically ill. He expressed to me that my depression was not a good enough excuse and refused to help me. I was already afraid to ask for help. That moment in my life will always stick with me because he made me feel like it was my fault that I was depressed. I feel like an ant that he stomped out. Professors need to understand that we students are regular people like them with jobs, lives, and we go through fucked up shit too. They are the leaders on campus who were once students but pretend like they were born professors. They understand what we’re going through but choose to turn a blind eye for some reason. That makes me want to quit because if they are not willing to help those who need it, what is the point?” said Marcus White, student.
Our lives were changing, but it seemed like colleges were doing the absolute least when it came to helping. Depression reared its ugly head for the first time in some, while others went back on a rollercoaster of declining emotions that they were used to. The help that should have been provided was nowhere to be found, and many struggled with it. It wasn’t rare to hear in conversation before the pandemic that students were having problems with professors because of their lack of teaching or help. Depression and anxiety are real mental conditions that can be easy to defeat for some but extremely difficult to cope with. Being a college student with mental health conditions can make college harder, but many rely on the school’s freeing feeling to live.
“I think ‘Covid depression’ is a very real thing that’s taking a toll on a lot of students. Many college students go away to school to get away from toxic environments that negatively impact their mental health, and all of a sudden, that escape was taken away. Now they’re having to manage the effects of that environment while simultaneously trying to adapt to a new form of learning,” stated Rhyland Edwards, student.
Humans need to feel connected to someone in some way to thrive and live everyday life. When you go away to college, most students will become more sociable and find friend groups that fit them. The social skills we learned in grade school are now being applied to our adult lives. They went from sharing rooms and bathrooms and enjoying time in the cafe to being locked in their homes, staring at the same walls, and unable to visit friends and family they used to see often. Mental health conditions have spiked as students try to sift through their lives and make sense of it all.
“Lockdown does have an effect on mental health because humans are sociable creatures and they are able to learn by being around others. At the same time, they might experience anxiety out of fear of getting others sick or sick themselves, which is also affecting one’s mental health,” said Griffith.
Generation Z, those born after 1997, has grown up in a world of distress. It does not come as a surprise when they report the most mental health problems. After 9/11, we were brought up in a world surrounded by media coverage, and every single year, there was always a new disease that we had to fear, a recent school shooting, or the possibility of the world ending. Fear was embedded in our memories from a very young age because of our world, so it comes as no surprise that Gen Z suffers the most.
“The pressures put on college students is at an all-time high. It seems like depression and anxiety cases are also at an all-time high for that age group. I don’t think colleges actually care about the mental health of students. They rarely ever talk about the topic unless it has to do with substance abuse, or on the rare occasion, suicide prevention is brought up. There are no steps put in place for students if their mental health is getting in the way of their education. Even if you decide to take a break from school because of it it’s still not seen as a completely valid reason,” said Edwards.
Students should understand that putting hard work into school will be needed to pass classes. Not showing up and not handing in schoolwork is unacceptable, but help should be given to those who need it. Having the inability to do school work because of a mental health condition is a valid reason. The mind is powerful and can take over one’s body easily. COVID-19 has heavily impacted the way college students live, and the decline of many mental health conditions is happening every day to thousands across this country. Professors should help, counselors should help so that students can help themselves.