every sphere of life. The community also lost one of its own. Dean Wien knew more about the case and had a hard time dealing with it. She stated that the university wanted to spare students the information since the administration realized that students were more sensitive this semester. The loss of a fellow AUBG student was also hard to accept for many others. “I remember feeling like…for such a long time, thinking how it could have easily been a person I know, since I’ve heard people I know contemplating doing what our colleague did,” a student commented. Prof. Harvey admitted that he is as stressed as everybody else because he has too much to do. He is trying to maintain good mental health and believes that other professors are available to talk. Some of the interviewed students agree with this claim and said that they are satisfied with most of their professors. However, a big part of the student body does not feel this way. They thought that the semester would have been the ‘back to normal’ one. Students believe that they are unable to function normally because of two things – the pandemic and the restrictions which go with it and online education. “I know many people who feel socially anxious, overwhelmed with all the changes and unfortunately, struggling with their mental health. And so am I. I have started panicking before delivering a presentation, no matter online or on ground. I have lost the joy of being in this community and I am fighting every day to get my old self back,” a student said. Others share a similar view. “This semester has made me angrier than I usually am. I am still trying to figure out for myself why this emotion is overtaking me and how to deal with it. I absolutely regret taking two out of the five courses I am taking. I have always managed to find something good in courses and professors but these two I absolutely can’t bear,” another student added. “It is extremely discouraging to see that your beginner level course is expecting proficiency and the professor is not giving you enough motivation or resources to improve.” Some students even feel that professors do not care that much about them and believe that professors should have organized this semester in a different way, without putting such a burden on undergraduates. Students think that their workload has been excessive and have complained of being extremely tired. “Now that we’re online they overwork us to the point of exhaustion, simply because we supposedly have so much free time that it would be best to spend it doing meaningless work and assignments. I am so burned out I can hardly find the motivation to finish my assignments.” Others feel stressed out by the fact that they have to be with their camera on in classes all the time. They have also not been comfortable with all the regulations regarding eagles, lions and the green pass certificate, which was introduced during the course of the semester. “This semester has been the most stressful one, not only for me, but also for my friends. These non-stop changes and expectations that we had to cover really drove me crazy. I am crying, I am losing my desire to talk to people, I am tired, I can’t take it anymore,” a student said. Every person has a different way of taking care of their mental health. The interviewed people all gave some suggestions. “Talk to people that you don’t usually talk to. Talk to experts. Talk, talk, talk. Keep talking. Get advice. Get help. Scream if you have to,” Dean Wien said. Prof. Harvey believes that going to a counselor is not the only choice. “Try doing the following: learn meditation techniques, exercise, give yourself mental health break days or break times. Talk with friends about stressors in your life and laugh about them,” he said. 2 Fall 2021 | AUBG Daily Students also shared their ways of coping. Some take care of their physical body by running, dancing, and going to the gym. Others read books and take study breaks where they go for a walk or talk to their friends. Other methods include meditating, crystal work, and time spent in nature away from technology. “I try to take time for myself and continue doing what I love to do despite all that I have to do for the university. I have decided that I am ready to sacrifice my GPA in order to preserve my mental health,” a student declared. Students gave their suggestions on how the university can improve the overall mental health situation on campus. They all agreed that there need to be more psychologists available. Another way of promoting mental health is by launching a campaign with informational posters. The university can also invite guest speakers to show methods of dealing with stress. Furthermore, there could be some kind of initiative where faculty members and students exchange positions for a week. The last idea presented by students is to have activities on campus that allow people to relax and gather as a community more often. This could include meditation classes and yoga once a week at the sports hall. Dean Wien said that the university will do more and try to improve the counseling services by making them better known for students. AUBG will look for help not only from the Marketing office, but from students as well. She acknowledges that the offerings have to be diversified and students should have more available resources. It remains to be seen whether the university will, in fact, respond to its students’ concerns.
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