Throughout the pandemic life for students has been very uncertain, with schools and universities across the country closing without much warning and blended learning becoming the new normal for students and teachers across the country.

 

GCSE and A-Level exams were cancelled in Summer 2020 meaning students received a calculated grade based on center assessments that then went through an algorithm that finalised their grades. This caused further uncertainty among students as this system of grading hadn’t been used before. 

 

AS Level uncertainty

Current year 12 student Joel Lewis, who is doing his AS Level exams, relied on this

grading system for his GCSE exams. He said: “It was strange getting a result from

an exam I never sat but the nerves were still there, especially after the issues we

heard about with the algorithm and A-Level students the week before.” 

 

Despite algorithm issues around the UK, students eventually ended up with their

correct grades. After starting sixth form in September learning soon moved to

blended learning as students were told to self isolate as cases started to rise and

parents worried about the risk of their children being in school.

Learning has been completely online this term and Summer exams have again

been cancelled for the 2021 academic year, meaning students like Joel won’t have sat an exam in three years by the time Summer 2022 comes around: “It’s frustrating that this year’s grades won’t count towards our final grade but under the circumstances it makes sense, it just means there’s a lot more pressure to do well next year as we won’t be able to resit any exams for better marks.”

 

Government guidelines have been everchanging in an attempt to keep up with and contain the spread of the virus. The Welsh Government has said on gov.wales: “Learners in Year 12 will be awarded an AS grade that is centre determined. This will recognise the hard work and learning that they have undertaken this year, provide for progression into the A-level course of study, and support UCAS applications, but will not contribute to the final A level award in 2022.”

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Underwhelming university experience?

                                                           The situation for university students has been very different, exams weren’t cancelled                                                            as they were done online although they’ve also been learning online for a lot of the                                                                pandemic. Second year English Literature student Angharad Roberts says “online                                                                  learning isn't as enjoyable and interactive as in person learning, but luckily it's started                                                            to become a new normality for many.” Angharad was living in a student house                                                                        through the pandemic and doing her learning from there before going home for                                                                    Christmas and being advised not to go back to university unless absolutely                                                                              necessary. All students have been advised to stay where they are and not travel to                                                                  and from university unless necessary as part of Covid-19 restrictions.

 

Another second year student, Ciaràn Howell, who is studying Biochemistry is in a similar situation. Ciaràn stayed at home instead of living in student halls or housing and commuted to university everyday. A large part of his course includes lab work which needs to be done in person meaning restrictions have been particularly tough, especially with national lockdowns. “For a while we were allowed to go into uni for labs with precautions in place, it’s not the kind of work you can do over zoom very well. Driving to uni has been the biggest difference to me, usually on my way the roads would be full of cars since I always hit morning rush hour but since the pandemic there’s no one around, which I guess is a good thing.” 

 

The Welsh Government included this on their website under their guidance for university students: “Universities will continue to provide a combination of in person teaching and blended learning. This will minimise the need to travel and will allow students to work from home as well as attend essential in person teaching and learning sessions…”

 

A big part of university culture is the social aspect of meeting new people on and outside of their courses, clubbing and sightseeing especially among those who moved to a new city for university, this has been taken away during Covid as clubs and restaurants among many other places have been forced to close to try and control the virus. “The social aspect of university, unfortunately has been stopped for a lot of students which is a shame but understandable” said Angharad, as Ciaràn said: “It does feel like we’re missing out on the social aspect of uni a bit. So many things we thought would be standard uni life have restrictions now, some people aren’t even allowed back to their accommodation.”     

 

As what we used to consider normal life still seems like a distant memory, students must still adapt to the changes as we live with this virus. Hopefully soon it's safe enough for students to return to their classrooms and their bedrooms can return to being the place of homework alone.