Table of Contents
The unplanned and rapid changes to learning and teaching in the online system instigated by COVID-19 impacted my life. Prasath et al. (2021) support that students’ performance and engagement matter more by having sound well-being physically, socially, and mentally. Most of these facets work better when students engage in co-curricular, curricular, intrinsic motivation, and extracurricular engagement. Student well-being states the equilibrium of achieving a baseline of happiness. The balance includes physical well-being, reduced fatigue, freedom of movement, accessibility of resources, and the ability to engage and relate with other people (Plakhotnik et al., 2021). Students achieve the balance through having the ability to control individual resource pools and also disregard challenges. Student well-being is a significant global concern in most learning institutions to bring a balance in all life aspects. Therefore, learning institutions play an essential role in supporting students’ well-being.
Student Overall Wellbeing
Student well-being comprises concepts of identity, motivation, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and self-esteem. I believe that school provides a space for reducing stress and enhancing the experience through engagement and meaning in the classroom, increasing satisfaction with life. I always felt that the time we used to engage in physical classes increased by engaging more in learning activities, feeling a sense of belonging, and making positive relationships with others that instigated competencies and autonomy. Currently, online classes do not provide similar advantages compared to physical classes. Despite different materials being available in the school portal about student well-being, I still feel that the changes instigated by COVID-19 have led to burnout, frustrations, stress, withdrawal, and dissatisfaction from active learning. Well-being fosters academic achievement and prepares learners for lifelong success; therefore, education stakeholders keep pushing for strategies and procedures that promote well-being (Prasath et al., 2021). As a student, I feel there is a need to encourage and endorse health and well-being indicators and standards that offer procedures to promote health in educational systems. I think I had better mental health before the pandemic compared to the present moment. Right now, I struggle to comprehend and am frustrated, fearful, lost, and uncomfortable. I have changed my routine to working and learning online, which needs access to good IT equipment and infrastructure, cognition skills, and perfect connectivity. The pandemic has affected my well-being regarding when I graduate, unemployment issues, and the infection rate. I think that my coping mechanisms and skills have also depreciated since the disruption in the academic process heightened my anxiety, especially with my lack of social support.
Approaches and Support Strategies
Some of my friends keep complaining about the inability to commit to online meetings and other social engagement strategies. However, I am working on methods to ensure that I do not engage in alcohol and drug consumption or fall into depression. The pandemic has also reduced my enthusiasm to learn more and explore my singing talent by increasing workload, hesitation in completing semesters, and heightened study expectation confusion. I also have a limited social life, increasing loneliness, anxiety, and negative feelings. Studies have helped me follow mechanisms and strategies that can help improve my well-being, such as being active on social media to build a strong motivation for online learning and lower distress (Plakhotnik et al., 2021). I can attest that these strategies have been helpful, although one cannot compare them to physical meetings, social gatherings, and other types of engagements in school. Most institutions and stakeholders need to revise the existing practices and interventions in extracurricular, curricular, and co-curricular activities to promote overall student well-being (Prasath et al., 2021). The pandemic created much uncertainty regarding the new normal in my life as a student and learning experience. Presently, most nations are still reacting to the pandemic hence changing the mode of learning and interaction to online or hybrid and making the processes more prevalent. Stakeholders need to develop novel strategies and resources that can help improve overall student well-being in the hybrid and online environment (Prasath et al., 2021). Institutions must find effective mechanisms and factors and how COVID-19 affects leaner’s well-being. Moreover, the mechanisms should empower and motivate students on their perceptions of degree completion and future job opportunities during the pandemic (Prasath et al., 2021). Institutions have the role of supporting students in providing opportunities to students with challenges in coping with mental issues through personalized and individualized online or hybrid meetings.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the paper discusses that learning institutions play a significant role in supporting students’ well-being. The part of educational institutions is to undertake the mediation role to help students overcome the impacts of the pandemic on positive well-being. The pandemic has increased negative well-being where students no longer have autonomy, engagement prospects, and social life, instigating issues such as depression, anxiety, and adverse mental health. Therefore, it is the work of educational institutions and stakeholders to provide students with support strategies and mechanisms such as sufficient and timely information on how to deal with hybrid or online classes. Moreover, the materials on school platforms should also aim to support students through partnerships and networks to help students find jobs, internships, and attachments. Finally, students need course instructors, institution management, and digital and IT support to provide exchange programs to promote engagement and more partnership towards improving students’ overall well-being.
- Plakhotnik, M. S., Volkova, N. V., Jiang, C., Yahiaoui, D., Pheiffer, G., McKay, K., … & Reißig-Thust, S. (2021). The perceived impact of COVID-19 on student well-being and the mediating role of the university support: Evidence from France, Germany, Russia and the UK. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 2663.
- Prasath, P. R., Mather, P. C., Bhat, C. S., & James, J. K. (2021). University Student Well-Being During COVID-19: The Role of Psychological Capital and Coping Strategies. Professional Counselor, 11(1), 46-60.