Stuck in West London. Far From Home

Being confined to a room with a bed, bathroom, food, and a computer may seem like our basic necessities are fulfilled. On the contrary however, being isolated in a one-bedroom student bedsit can have some negative effects on mental health.

Since the beginning of lockdown, I have been confined to the boundaries of my flat and the surrounding areas for a month, but it feels like an eternity.

Whilst it feels surreal that a pandemic can suddenly disrupt so many things around the world, the reality of the situation is that we are in a lockdown and need to stay indoors to protect the elderly and the sick.

There are some pros of the lockdown however, it not only gives mother nature time to repair itself, but also gives us time to reflect on our daily lives and helps us realise everything we take for granted.

Over the past month or so, the Earth has gone back to its original form, animals have become more comfortable exploring new areas and the overall air quality is improving.

With a lot of political issues that were going on last year with climate change, it seems that the unlikely fix has come from the disastrous virus.

Personally, I have had a lot of time to reflect on my future career paths, solidifying my portfolio and working on university projects. Along with this, I also get to be able to be on call with my friends and play games with them more frequently, which is a great perk.

Whilst the positives I have mentioned definitely mask the horrendous nature of the pandemic, it is important to realise the negative effects that this can have on our mental health.

We as humans are social beings and we require real social interactions. This basic necessity is clearly lacking in these testing times, and this is causing a lot of students to go out their way to meet up with friends and family despite the set regulations.

Being made to stay inside is not helped when the weather has been stunning. It has been one of the warmest Easters in recent memory.

However, not everyone has been able to reap the benefits of the weather and go on a lovely outing, and those who have gone out of their way to break the current regulations of the lockdown have been sent back home.

Due to the pandemic, the University of West London’s sports teams missed out on some of the biggest events such as tours and Varsity games. Instead of making memories, we are confined to our small rooms with nothing but our bed, our devices, and the occasional trips to the store for necessities and food.

For a university student, there could be nothing worse than not being able to meet up with friends, and most importantly not being able to go visit family.

Despite this, a lot of students that were living in Paragon Student Lets did leave beforehand, which enabled them to get in contact with Brentford’s MP in order to cancel their final term’s rent.

She was contacted on twitter as students were going to strike and caused an uproar on social media, she got involved and made sure that the university took over the contracts of those wanting to leave.

In the accommodation terms and conditions, there is also a clause which states that contracts can be taken over by the university due to circumstances such as a life threatening illness.

Despite this, it is still quite a depressing time for students, but everyone is keeping their spirits high through fun social media challenges and zoom parties.

By Siva Raghuraman