What should UK students do during the coronavirus outbreak?

Campuses are becoming deserted and classes have moved online, leaving many students unsure about what to do next. “We’ve spent three whole years looking forward to our graduation ceremony and we might not get it,” says Calum Paton, a final year history and politics student at Warwick University. “Everything’s being cancelled and there’s so much uncertainty.”

As events unfold, universities and staff are working to make sure students are safe and able to continue their degrees. Here’s what we know so far.

Should I self-isolate?

The National health Service (NHS) advice is to self-isolate if you experience coronavirus symptoms, the most common being a high temperature or a new, continuous cough.

Even if you don’t have symptoms, the government advises social distancing to reduce the spread of the virus. This means avoiding meeting up with friends and family, staying away from venues such as pubs, clubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres, and working from home. You can go out for a walk to exercise, but stay two metres away from others.

According to Prof Carl Heneghan, the director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, most young people do not have to worry about their own health. “Their role is to understand their job in slowing the spread of the disease and how it will impact older people. It’s about not overwhelming services,” he says. His advice is to avoid physical contact as much as possible. “Minimise your social contact for the next few weeks,” he says.

Do universities have any helplines?

Many universities have opened dedicated helplines or ramped up existing student support services. In some cases students and staff are being asked to notify the university through a dedicated route if they’re self-isolating; there are then regular telephone check-ins with these students. Visit your university website and check your emails as many vice-chancellors and heads of departments are sending updates.

Be patient: it can take time for staff to respond as measures may need to be cleared with management first. “We are concerned about students and most of us are happy to take phone calls and be contacted on Skype or email, even though most won’t be in our office over the next few weeks or months,” says Steven Jones, a professor at the Manchester Institute of Education.

Should I go home?

As it stands, nearly all on-campus activity has been cancelled or paused. However, not all universities are telling students to leave. “It is important to note that universities and campuses are not closing. With teaching moving online students can remain on campus if they prefer to and some university facilities are still available,” said a spokesperson from Universities UK.

The University of Buckingham says although it has not asked any students to return home at the moment, their term ends today, so they are expecting many to leave anyway. Professor Manuel Souto-Otero from Cardiff University’s School of Social Sciences says they have not asked any students to return home. “Without face-to-face contact many will decide to go anyway,” he says. “It’s an individual decision based on academic and personal factors.”

Students say they are picking a place to stay put. “I decided to stay at uni,” says Paton. “There’s a handful of people still here but they’ve closed everything down.”

For international students the issue is more pressing and many countries are closing borders and putting restrictions in place. “We can’t just leave uni whenever we want,” says Vikesh Mistry (not his real name), who studies politics and international studies at Warwick University and got a flight home earlier this week. “India is closing its borders and a lot of students are stuck.”

If you do decide to stay on campus, measures are being taken to support students during self-isolation. According to Universities UK, if the number of students self-isolating continues to increase, some universities are planning to differentiate between accommodation. “Those with en-suites may be supported in their existing rooms and those without moved to designated accommodation. As campus gets quieter over the Easter break some have suggested being able to allocate one student per flat,” a spokesperson said.

Most have additional support for those who cannot or do not want to go home. Becca Bland, chief executive of Stand Alone, a charity that supports adults who are estranged from their family, advises those students to stay put, make contact with student services and reach out to people in their community.

How can I still study?

It will feel difficult to sit down and study while this is going on. But universities are talking to exam boards to ensure students do not lose out on learning. The education secretary has now announced a pause on face-to-face provision in an educational setting, and measures being explored include recorded lectures, amendments to exam questions if sections of a syllabus have been missed, and moving assessments online.

In the meantime, Souto-Otero says there are resources available. “Staff are preparing videos or using ones from previous years. Use this time to make progress and get on,” he advises. For those planning on doing placements next year or studying abroad, consider whether programmes might be suspended and make arrangements for accommodation next year just in case.

How can I cope with anxiety?

Maintaining your mental health and wellbeing is important. There are going to be incredible uncertainties in the next two months and students need to look out for each other.

Sir Anthony Seldon, vice-chancellor at the University of Buckingham, says students should reach out for support. “Our students can talk to our specialist mental health advisors, mentors and personal tutors should they be feeling anxious or need extra support during this time of minimised social contact.”

When will classes start again?

In many cases not until at least September. While it remains uncertain what will happen to assessment and grades as exams are cancelled, students at several universities, such as Cambridge, are asking their universities to allow them to retake their final year. Universities also have the option of basing students’ final grades on predictions or coursework.

“By the time we get back, uni might look very different. There will be an online structure in place and that will change the way things are going forward,” says Heneghan.

For some students, the situation has been compounded by the recent strikes and they haven’t felt they’ve had a normal education at all this year. “Five out of 20 weeks were already disrupted, and now everything is going online,” says Mistry.

Jones insists universities are doing their best. He says don’t feel that your uni is closed – they are just transitioning online and staff are still there for students. “It’s just a different situation we are in,” he concludes.