Student experiences of COVID and lockdown: institutional report.

This report summarises key findings from a study into student experiences of university during the COVID-19 pandemic, their own responses and coping strategies, and their understanding of what universities need to do to support them. We also highlight how students felt they were perceived societally during the pandemic and lockdowns. Specifically, the team of researchers conducted 124 surveys and three focus groups, between March and June 2021, to better understand the effects of COVID-19 and lockdown on students at Scottish universities. Building on this understanding, we codeveloped a wellbeing toolkit to help students access support, resources, and guidance during and after COVID. Here, we report findings that are of relevance to higher education institutions in Scotland and that can inform approaches to mitigating future crises and to make institutions aware of the struggles students have faced in order to prepare for—in the case of some students—their first experiences being on campus as restrictions lift.