Coping with the Virtual Madness as a College Student

Being a college student in 2020 is a tough job for many young adults across the world. Due to the coronavirus crisis, students and teachers had to quickly adjust to learning and teaching from a distance via online platforms. However, research suggests that the rapid shift to virtual classrooms is taking a toll on students’ mental and physical health.

College life is stressful for many students in and of itself. Studies point to an increase in mental health problems in newly admitted college students. In a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders by Dr. Ronny Bruffaerts from KU Leuven University and colleagues, it was reported that one out of three college students experience mental health issues in their freshman year. These mental health issues were also found to interfere with students’ academic performance. 

In a more recent study, Dr. Paula Odriozola-González and colleagues from the University of Valladolid found that students scored significantly higher on depression, anxiety and stress measures compared to the university staff during the first weeks of confinement due to the coronavirus outbreak. Moreover, the researchers also found that students in social sciences, law, arts and humanities were psychologically more heavily impacted than those enrolled in engineering and architecture. 

These studies not only highlight the mental health issues that are prevalent among college students but they also urge us to prepare differently for the new school year to protect students’ wellbeing.   

The challenge

The biggest challenge that comes with virtual classes is that it will be more difficult for faculty to identify the mental health challenges that students face. Furthermore, students might not get the counselling referrals they need in a timely manner. This will put a lot more responsibility on students to look after themselves in times of stress. 

For instance, the digitalization of higher education is likely to disrupt students’ sleep habits. Sleep deprivation negatively impacts our cognitive and emotional abilities. According to Dr. Matthew Walker who is a professor of neuroscience at the University of California at Berkeley, the sleep deprived brain creates deficits in the prefrontal cortex and thus, it cannot adequately keep the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain, in check. 

Dr. Jennifer Katzenstein, the director of psychology and neuropsychology at the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital explains that “increased screen time usage, especially for non-academic activities, has been found to be linked with increases in depression, anxiety and perceived attention problems.”  

Moreover, international students will be more prone to the negative health effects of inadequate sleep due to differences in time zones. An irregular sleep schedule is known to cause daytime fatigue and difficulties falling and/or staying asleep. Therefore students will need to prioritize their sleep to keep their cognitive and emotional abilities strong. 

Take care of the basics

Experts like Katzenstein suggest that college students take care of their basic needs first. Focusing on basics like eating healthy and staying physically active can help students achieve a sense of balance in their busy schedule. 

Dr. Laurie Santos who is a psychology professor at Yale University and the instructor for the popular Coursera class “The Science of Wellbeing” shares more tips on how to cope with difficulties on her YouTube channel. She recommends keeping a gratitude journal to shift our focus to the good things in life. Given that 2020 is already a challenging year, it is important to take note of things that infuse our life with meaning. 

Santos also recommends to not run away from difficult emotions but to embrace them. She offers a well known technique called RAIN (Recognize, Accept, Investigate, Nurture) to become aware of the changes in our internal weather. RAIN is a meditation technique that supports individuals to connect with their emotions on a deeper level. 

When you feel overwhelmed, try to recognize the emotions you are feeling. Then invite the emotion in and sit with it for a while. Next, get curious about the emotions you are feeling. Finally, practice self-compassion to nurture yourself during this difficult time that you are going through. 

Try these evidence based techniques to invite more balance and ease into your life. Remember that we are going through unprecedented times and we can get the support we need in a variety of different ways.

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