Coronavirus For Students: Why Universities Should Lower Grade Thresholds

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It is the last day of March 2020, Earth is on lockdown due to coronavirus; people are working from home, educational institutes have shifted online and civilization is literally taking it one day at a time. This pandemic, as unforgiving as it is, has introduced itself to us, unprecedented. Where COVID-19 might not physically affect someone locked indoors, it has an impact on everyone’s mental well-being. Largely because of the ambiguity surrounding the virus, there’s been a spike in anxiety and stress throughout the masses. There’s panic, people are stocking up, we’re even afraid to go get groceries now. We’re afraid to contract the infection and we’re also afraid to pass it on to someone we love, someone who may lose the fight against it. This is uncharted territory and coronavirus for students means adapting to an alien era.

Where mental health issues can be sporadic in nature, research

In that, young adults (primarily university students) worldwide are more prone to feelings of anxiety and depression. The current situation has only amplified emotional lows which makes it harder for individuals to do everyday tasks like they did before. With information comes responsibility. Millennials today are more shouldered with preventing the spread of this disease than any other generation. For students living alone and students living with their parents alike, coronavirus and what it entails, is psychologically repressing.

Read: Coronavirus Self Quarantine Hacks

These are exceptionally tough times and some have it worse than the rest. For individuals who already struggle with mental health issues like ADHD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and more, taking online classes isn’t a wish come true. Consequently, coronavirus for students, especially those at greater psychological risk, can be triggering.

An internet connection does not promise the same discipline enforced by an on-site institute.

Let’s not forget that not everyone is equipped with the same mental disposition to cope. Many students may find themselves in distress, unable to focus or meet stringent deadlines due to circumstances at home. Not every household offers a productive learning environment, and not every student performs to their potential under stress. Where virtual classrooms do ensure some sort of normalcy for young adults, they don’t replicate the fundamentals of an actual one. Which is precisely why, applying the same rules to grading and evaluation is unfeasible.

While mental health remains the primary concern, it isn’t the only enabling factor for reduced performance. Some students might be tending to sick family members, automatically increasing their psychological burden and reducing their disposable time. Different institutes employ different criteria, these benchmarks require varying degrees of effort. It is only pragmatic that grade thresholds be lowered to accommodate every student by eliminating the benefit offered by relatives in mental-security. If the world is on pause, it should be clear that changes are necessary; they’re the call of the hour.

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