We are in the midst of an incredibly uncertain, worrying and unprecedented time. We as students believe that it is now vital to seriously consider the wellbeing of everyone at the university, and what measures can reasonably be put in place in order to combat additional stress and anxiety. We are calling for the University of Essex to implement a 'no detriment policy' for the 2020 academic year similar to what other universities has put into place.

We thank the university for already doing a great job so far. We would just like to point out that more could be done, not only to benefit our wellbeing, but to ensure our hard work so far is not negatively impacted:

1. Examinations sat at home are too problematic

The implementation of a system where exams are sat at home leads to a plethora of difficulties. Sitting an exam in a home setting could encourage cheating by some students and many students will be at a disadvantage as their home setting cannot provide appropriate exam settings, with too many distractions for a student to revise and complete exams to the best of their ability.

2. Lack of appropriate study spaces

With the country in lockdown, there is a lack of adequate revision areas for optimal revision with students being forced to revise at home. The home environment introduces more distraction, such as pets and younger siblings making it difficult to focus.

3. We are not performing to the best of our ability

We are in the middle of a global pandemic. Whether we're key workers, looking after at-risk family members, or just incredibly anxious about the entire situation, we are absolutely not in the right mindset to be producing our best work.

4. Student and Staff Wellbeing

In the face of a global pandemic, students are already experiencing increased stress and anxiety. Having assessments and exams on top of this will inevitably lead to some students developing mental health issues relating to stress such as depression and insomnia.