Understanding Challenges and Coping Strategies of University Students in Dhaka City During COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 health emergency has challenged the socio-economic circumstances and health status of mankind worldwide. The effect of these disruptions trickled down and impacted the lives of vulnerable people, including students. The prolonged closure of educational institutions has contributed to aggravating these negative impacts. Around 40 million students have experienced adverse financial and health repercussions amidst the pandemic in Bangladesh. Students experienced inevitable changes in the trajectory of their lives, including lifestyles, relationships with family and community, and reliance on support. As the pandemic-ordained lockdown required virtual learning, students found themselves unprepared, anxious, and ambivalent. The coping strategies of the students amidst the COVID-19 have not been adequately explored in Bangladesh. The objectives of our study are firstly, to delve deeper into the challenges and coping strategies embraced by the students from public and private universities in Dhaka. Secondly, it aimed to identify how social connectedness supported students for resilience building.