In her final column for Dublin Live, MA student Amy Donohoe speaks about what it's like to finish third level in the middle of a pandemic, and why many university students feel forgotten by the government.

On March 12th, which already seems like a lifetime ago, Leo Varadkar made a public announcement stating that all schools and colleges must close.

Like many people, this is my last year in college. And for all of us who are in our final year, we walked around campus on the last day, not knowing that it would be our final one as students.

We did the dreaded walk to the library not knowing it was the last; we sat in a lecture hall writing notes for the last time not knowing it was; and we saw people, not realising that it would be the last time we saw them.

Not to mention the worries ahead – getting a job might be an issue with a recession owing to the pandemic and emigration may be off the cards for the foreseeable future too.

And all the wild plans we made for before we truly enter adulthood – just gone. All the concerts, J1s, plays, student balls, nights out, award ceremonies and hangovers in lectures taken away from us.

But – we have to stay inside. For our older relatives and for our friends and families with health conditions, we can’t spread the virus.

The curve is flattening but doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists are still working round-the-clock shifts, shop staff are still stacking the shelves, government and HSE officials are continuously updating us and the media are covering every aspect of the coronavirus (even Claire Byrne is coming to us live from her garden shed). We have to avoid a second spike.

I am truly heartbroken to not be ringing in my last days in DCU with my friends. I’ve missed out on the DCU tradition of hearing Eurovision legend Mickey Joe Harte play in Nubar, sitting in Albert College Park with ice-cream (or warm cans), and the Summer Ball. It’s sad that we don’t have that last chance to be immature together before we go into the workforce full-time.

But I think quarantine might have also been a blessing in disguise for me. I think the pace of my life was moving too fast, and I was forgetting my roots. I’ve had time to take a breather, spend time with my own thoughts, organise my life and reconnect with some old hobbies (and some fresh ones - yes, I am on TikTok). 

I’ve kept in contact with my friends and family – I’m probably speaking to them more now since everyone has much more free time. I’ve sat in relatives' gardens or stood on the other side of fences just to have a chat. I haven’t been home for this amount of time since I started college back in 2016, so it is nice to get away from the busy city life.

In some sense, I will miss this life when everything goes back to normal. I’ll miss not having my dinners made for me, having a full fridge all the time, not being able to see my dog every day, being surrounded by nature, and I’ll miss living in a nice warm house - something that’s rare when renting in Dublin.

I don’t mind doing college work at home but I don’t think the expectations of college students have been met. We are paying thousands to sit in front of our laptops and work as normal during a pandemic. I’m not against working from home, but fees should be reduced or partially refunded, if that’s the case.

I think more online learning is a move that should be considered in the future, as it would be sustainable and decrease the carbon footprint of students and staff, it would save commuting time and without hanging around campus, you can save money.

But college students are being left in the dark and forgotten about. It has left students without a library and without necessary resources.

At least Leaving Cert students have the answers about what happens next. But college students are still expected to do exams at home – maybe in a house with a loud family or a poor internet connection.

They might be struggling to find the motivation to work with no lecturer present, no group discussion or no proper routine in place. They might be anxious about having no summer job and not being able to afford the following academic year.

While there’s a big fuss about the Leaving Cert, there is nothing about college students being driven to do exams in these uneasy times.

It’s crazy how little support college students have got during the pandemic, even though we are paying thousands. A lot of us have had to teach ourselves the coursework, and not all students can adapt to online learning.

Many of us are still working part-time jobs, and some of us are even on the front lines of the pandemic in retail or the health service.

Our mental health matters too. College students deserve some support from the Department of Education. We have been remarkably overlooked in the current situation.

With little part-time work available this summer too, this will add extra stress to students trying to save for next year’s semester. A lot of third level students need some reassurance right now.

But, in the meantime, stay safe, do your best. It’s okay to have a day off and do nothing. Try to keep in contact with lecturers, they will understand the extenuating circumstances, and that not everybody has access to quiet study space.

My lecturers have been great, they’ve kept in contact and encourage us to ask for help if we need it. I hope everyone's are like that.

Also, remember to take some time for yourself. This is an opportunity to be creative, be studious, or just be lazy. Check in on someone who might be lonely, stay at home, don’t touch your face, wash your hands and don’t forget to sing Happy Birthday twice.