The Great Antwerp Student Survey

Projects

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A study of Antwerp student’s challenges and problems after corona

The Great Antwerp Student Survey is a collaboration between STAN and the University of Antwerp with the objective of understanding the concerns of Antwerp’s students and assessing their satisfaction with their studies, student life, campus, and city. In 2018, the focus was on mobility, safety, leisure activities, diversity, and nutrition. In 2023, the second edition, we explored the broader living environment of Antwerp’s students, from attending classes and leisure activities in a post-COVID era to their financial concerns and mental well-being.

The results indicated that student life has undergone significant changes since COVID-19. Not only students but also STAN and higher education institutions faced several significant challenges in supporting students as effectively as possible.

What?: An investigation involving 3,024 Antwerp students on the topics: cost of living, mental well-being, and the impact of Covid-19 on student life.
By whom?: This research was a collaboration between the University of Antwerp and STAN. The work was conducted by fifteen Erasmus students under the supervision of Prof. Peter Van Aelst, Dr. Jonas Wood, and Hannes Lenaerts.
When?: Academic year 2022-2023.

Results

Socially more reserved

Firstly, Antwerp’s students became more socially reserved. Although Antwerp was considered a great student city, one in three students indicated that they became more socially reserved since the coronavirus pandemic, leading to changes in student life. On a typical weekday evening, they prefered to stay at home in their dorm rooms, alone or with friends.

“I’ve kind of gotten into that not-going-out vibe and can enjoy staying at home or spending evenings with family and friends in a quiet way more than going to a club.” (Female, 19 years old, high school student during Covid-19)

Overall, Antwerp’s students where positive about the wide choice of cafes (62%) and parties (54%), but going out in Antwerp remained expensive, especially if you were not a member of a student association (44%). Additionally, there were too few student-oriented activities during the day (24%). Many students also advocated for more non-alcoholic activities, activities on the outer campus, and activities that start earlier so they would be more accessible for commuting students. (Figure right: What does your favorite evening of the week look like?)

“Things that don’t revolve around drinking and partying, more cultural things that are just relaxing. As a student who doesn’t drink and doesn’t like going out, there really isn’t much left in terms of activities to meet people.” (Female, 23 years old)

Additionally, it was also noticeable that Antwerp students were less present on campus and engaged more in remote learning. The method of attending classes has been sustainably altered due to accelerated digitalization during the pandemic. With more lecture recordings available, students spend less time on campus and had fewer opportunities to meet each other, which in turn might have discouraged them from attending classes because they had fewer acquaintances among their peers. This vicious circle seemed particularly risky for university students, who had fewer classes in small groups.

An expensive student life

Secondly, many students were struggling with financial issues. Almost all Antwerp students believed that the cost of living has increased over the past year. They particularly noticed rising prices of groceries (73%), expenses in restaurants and bars (57%), and increased costs of utilities such as electricity, water, gas, and wifi (42%). The escalating bills and inflation also lead to increased demand for financial assistance from the educational institutions’ social services.

While we’ve learned that online lectures could have lead to increased social isolation, they also allowed students from less privileged backgrounds to work part-time during the week without missing classes. The inflation affecting all students might have been one of the reasons for the popularity of online lectures.

“I often have to dip into my savings account. In other years, this was more of an exception.”

Diminished Mental Well-being

Thirdly, it was evident that many students were grappling with stress and mental health issues. On average, 55% of Antwerp students experienced stress, performance pressure, or anxiety, but there were clear gender differences. Women were generally more vulnerable to these issues than men. Also, the factors causing stress differed between genders; for men, it was more about school-related stress, while for women, it encompasses various stressors. However, seeking help was not very common proportionally.

Only 13% of students sought help before. Men, in particular, were less likely to seek help when feeling down. However, it wasalso striking that only 40% of those who have never felt well had ever sought help. The biggest barriers to seeking help were long waiting times and high costs. Additionally, acknowledging one’s problems to oneself could already be an initial obstacle.

Conclusion

We concludde with three suggestions that could be part of an integrated approach. Firstly, we needed to continue investing in physical contact and meeting places. While online lectures were a useful part of education, they should not become the norm. There was a need for interaction and places where students could study, talk, or relax. This should be possible, accessible, and without pressure to consume.

Secondly, there was a growing demand for variety in leisure activities, such as more student-oriented activities during the day, non-alcohol-related activities, or activities on the outer campus. Regarding mental well-being, this study was yet another warning sign. There were significant groups of students who didn’t feel well, and social and academic components in student life clearly played a role, but the path to seeking support wasn’t always found. Mental well-being was more discussable than ever, but utilizing existing services didn’t seem straightforward.

Therefore, our third recommendation was to evolve into an integrated approach where “working on your well-being” was no longer seen as problem-solving but as one of many ingredients for a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle was necessary in the demanding context that students perceived at the time, where educational institutions as well as other student organizations could contribute. In concrete terms, an integrated approach implies that policy initiatives didn’t just wait for problems to arise but also proactively worked on well-being with all students.

About STAN

In 2013, STAN launched the first major quantitative survey on Antwerp’s student life. In the latest edition of the Great Antwerp Student Survey, we explored the broader living environment of Antwerp students, from attending classes and leisure activities in a post-COVID era to their financial concerns and mental well-being.

2012-2013
The Great Student Survey: quantitative needs and satisfaction survey.

2015-2016
The Great Student Survey: follow-up study.

2018-2019
The Great Antwerp Student Survey: for the first time in collaboration with students and professors from UAntwerp, focusing on the identity and urban experience of Antwerp students and their associated needs. Five themes were central: mobility, safety, leisure activities, diversity, and nutrition.

Warm meeting place

Those who know us well know: for us, it’s not just about results. That’s why we’ve launched CABIN, a warm meeting place for students, a safer space, an extension of your home or dorm. We aim to create a warm environment where social interaction, preventive self-care as part of a healthy lifestyle, studying, and sharing ideas are central.