Students face financial, mental health and coping concerns due to COVID-19

By Denali Lerch

The outbreak of COVID-19 has spun life as we know it into a whirlwind. For many, this includes the cancellation of anticipated events, many people isolated from their loved ones and others concerned over finances and mental health.

Students have been separated from their classmates and friends and many have gone back to their hometowns with their families. Most students across Georgia are finishing out their spring semester online, as instructed by the University System of Georgia. This has been a major upheaval that some are adjusting to well but others not as much.

For Chelsea Shead, a sophomore education major at the University of West Georgia, the outbreak brought an unconventional adaption as she was already an online student. While it has not been a sudden change for her, it still brought up previous concerns that affect her life such as her mental health concerns.

“I did not go away to college so my living situation hasn’t changed, but it is different being with the same people for long amounts of time,” Shead said. “When this all began, I was concerned about my previous mental health conditions. Now, I have to make the conscious decision everyday to get out of bed and do something so it doesn’t get bad.”

Shead is not the only one concerned about mental health conditions during this time. The CDC has released an official guide to effectively cope with these stressful situations and how to take care of yourself.

In addition to preexisting conditions reappearing during this unusual time, some are experiencing stress from financial concerns. Kylie Lambert, a sophomore psychology and criminal justice major at the University of Georgia, said that she has faced hardships after getting her work hours cut.

“I went from working 50–55 hours a week to barely getting nine hours,” Lambert said. “I’m having to look for a new job because I can’t afford anything from only working nine hours a week.”

Lambert said that this struggle has given her a positive outlook on the community, especially small businesses. While working at a local business, she sees the everyday struggles that comes with the lack of customers and hours.

“I hope people realize that big corporations can easily bounce back from this, but there are some small businesses that will never open their doors again because of the effects from the virus,” Lambert said.

As far as coping goes, students have different approaches to ensuring they are getting their work done while also taking care of themselves. Mama Aye-Addo, a sophomore international affairs major at Kennesaw State University, has been learning new coping mechanisms to continue to succeed.

“The best thing that I’ve gotten out of this whole situation is that I can take care of myself more,” Aye-Addo said. “I was spending a lot of my time with organizations and at my church before this, so going from 100% to slowing down completely has been nice.”

As time goes on, students will likely face new challenges and gain positive experiences as well. For now, the community is taking the outbreak one step at a time as everything is temporary and the duration of this period is uncertain.