Students feeling ‘trapped’ due to pandemic

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected a vast majority of the world’s student population, leaving some struggling with cabin fever, which causes persons to experience intense restlessness and frustration.

“Cabin fever usually occurs when an individual feels stuck in one place for an extended period of time, as is the case with our students due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” explained Richard Skyers, president of the Jamaican Association of Guidance Counsellors.

Far from being homesick, some students are instead reporting feeling “sick of home”.

“Students were pulled out of the normal teaching and learning environment where social interaction usually takes place during learning, and this could significantly affect students’ minds and normal functioning,” added Skyers.

Shanice Morrison, a third-year student at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, was hoping to finally be able to set aside some time for herself this year, but being confined to her home was not what she had in mind.

“Staying at home has caused me to develop cabin fever. I had a lot of plans. This was the time I really took for myself. This was all cut short so I was just locked up in this space. I didn’t even know what to do with myself. I couldn’t go outside. I couldn’t take a breath of fresh air,” she explained.

Her cabin fever only worsened when classes resumed online at the university in April.

Stressful time

“I didn’t have any Wi-Fi so it was really difficult. It was stressful. I felt like I didn’t have a purpose. I’m supposed to do an internship to get my degree and I have no idea what’s going to happen with that,” she added.

Morrison is majoring in tourism, a sector badly hit by the pandemic, which has caused the closure of many resorts, hotels, clubs and restaurants worldwide.

Christina Williams, The UWI’s outgoing guild president, told The Gleaner that she came across several students complaining about cabin fever in their WhatsApp groups, adding that they expressed a strong desire to return to the campus.

“People may think that students just want to be on campus because they are bored, but it’s not just that. It’s also because campus is where their life is. They have moments that they cherish. They also wanted to be on campus to access resources,” she explained.

Williams said that measures were put in place to address the concerns of students as they fought through a difficult semester.

“I came across cases of demotivation. I had to take it upon myself personally to encourage students to push through. We had telehelp available to students from the counselling unit. We provided concessions for students to take a leave of absence if they could not handle the pressure and they would be refunded,” she added.

Cabin fever has also affected high school students. For Aaliyah Fuller, a fifth-form student at the Convent of Mercy Academy (Alpha), getting to return to school to sit her exams was a major relief.

“When they first sent us home, I wasn’t frustrated. I thought it was just going to be for two weeks, but when it got extended, I became concerned and frustrated. I was wondering if and when corona was going to end? Then we had online classes and not everybody can learn like that. I felt trapped. I felt like I couldn’t do anything. We were just doing the same thing again and again,” she said.

As the pandemic continues, it remains to be seen the extent to which cabin fever may be an issue for students moving forward.