Student barometer
STUDENT bAROMETER
Learning together, partying together, graduating together. Being together is an important part of a student’s life. Yet today’s society also forces students to find alternatives for this lifestyle. And that is sometimes really hard. STAN sees and hears the students and sent out the editorial team out to do (virtual) research.
Times are changing…
Yay! It’s possible to go out with ten people again! Yay! The terraces will soon be open again! But don’t go ‘yay’ too fast, because the numbers are descending really slow…
After spending about six months in one loooong lockdown, everything feels a bit unreal. The sun is shining and more and more relaxations are in the offing. You can hear everyone saying “Good news!”. The youth is more than happy with these relaxations. Finally some perspective again! But this long-awaited perspective comes at a difficult time. The end of the academic year is near, which of course also means that a number of crucial weeks are just around the corner. Whether you are heading for an exam period, a final project or a thesis deadline, the carefree summer is still just over the horizon for many students. We can hear the thoughts bubble up in you…
- “How do I combine that regained freedom with all the deadlines that are coming my way?”
- “I can’t just sit inside all the time, right? I’ve been inside for a whole year.”
- “Will I still be able to be social? I no longer know how to behave in a group!”
- “Is everything going to be the same as it used to be? What if everyone has changed?”
- “I can’t say that I don’t want to meet now because I have school work, I’ve been working for school for a whole year.”
At STAN we realize that students each deal in their own way with all the evolutions in the corona policy. You have each had your own challenges over the past year. Freshmen and seniors and everything in between, every student has had to look for ways to get through it. So it is okay to discover that you may be looking at the impending changes with mixed feelings. We would like to know how you feel! How do you deal with the prospect of relaxations? Tell us!
Kato Francois
Emilie Vandenberghe
Ashley Boelaers
Time for positive vibes
We read in our previous barometer that students suffer a lot during this crisis. Being and staying happy turned out to be difficult, confirmed Shauny from LOGO in an interview with editor Julia. Various initiatives and projects sprang up like mushrooms. Editor Eva interviewed Heleen from Students for Students about the initiative of the University of Antwerp to let students talk to each other in a casual way. All colleges and universities organized a “Student Day” on 4 February, which was also the kickoff for STAN to spread Seeds of Hope. Great initiatives with a positive message. That got us thinking at STAN… could there also be positive things about this year in lockdown? We asked the students and we received wonderful, fun and heart-warming responses from you.
“It doesn’t mean just because dark times are going on, that you have to make your life dark too. Enjoy the bright parts!”
Kato Francois, student Graphic and Digital Media (AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts), said that she mainly learned that it is completely okay to admit that things are not always going well: “Before corona I didn’t admit such things, I just kept smiling and going on. But I collapsed in the crisis and something positive came out of that difficult period, because from now on I always try to be honest with myself about how I feel!”. Go you, Kato!
Student theater and film sciences (UAntwerpen) Emilie Vandenberghe started collecting plants during corona! “I already have more than 10! My favorite is my Chinese money plant, because it gets baby plants. I buy most plants in a garden center in the area so that I can immediately choose a nice pot! Through YouTube videos, tiktoks and wikihow I learned how best to take care of plants, and of course with a lot of trial and error! ”
Ashley Boelaers, student Applied Psychology (Thomas More), would like to keep the morning walks with her father that she went on this year: “Preferably early in the morning when possible, to get going and start the day well.”
Take it easy
Orin D’hauwer, student Social-Culture Work (AP Hogeschool), learned to push herself less: “Corona has kind of paused life and so everything went really slow. I’m trying to hold on to that now.”
Jannes Van den Wouwer, student communication sciences (UAntwerpen), agrees: “I have personally experienced that it is okay to take your time for certain things. I have learned to appreciate a not-so-crammed agenda, and I definitely want to try to keep it! ”
Fleur van Winckel takes her rest by knitting: “Knitting is the best relaxation! I was already able to do the basics, but in the past year I learned to knit a real sweater for the first time in addition to the many scarves for my family! It’s just super relaxing and now I can even do it while I’m watching Netflix! Blissful evenings!”
“What have I learned in recent months? I enjoy routines even more! I am more aware of the power of eating and exercising together.” – Janne De Wachter
Charlotte Orban, student Tourism and Recreation Management (Thomas More), learned to enjoy the little things. “Especially now that the sun is shining a bit more and I can regularly go outside with a drink. Just enjoy what the day brings and don’t be too hard on myself. Everyone has bad days sometimes and that’s totally fine! ”
How can STAN help you?
STAN not only sees you, STAN wants to connect you, with eachother and with us. Are you not doing great and don’t you know how to look on the bright side sometimes? That’s okay. We get that and we would love to help you.
- Maybe this article with tips against dark thoughts or feelings of lonelyness that editor Eva wrote could help you.
- Or check out this article that editor Janne wrote with links and places to go to when you’re not doing okay.
Do you still feel like you are stuck with a huge problem or need that we did not discuss yet, share it with us. We would love to see what we can do for you. If you have questions about covid and the influence of this virus on your student life, check out our FAQ.
