Student Wellbeing Survey
At the end of May, I conducted a Student Wellbeing Survey for students currently studying in the English department. The survey was divided into four sections: 1. Overall Wellbeing and Satisfaction, 2. University Support and Guidance, 3. Satisfaction with YTHS and 4. Finances and the Future. The survey was sent to Sub’s mailing list and Telegram group and got altogether 22 responses. Here are the results of that survey.
In the first question, we asked students to describe their health and wellbeing and gave them the options poor, fair, good, very good and thriving. The majority, 50% of our respondents, stated that their overall health and wellbeing was at a fair level. Another 27,3% described their wellbeing as poor, and altogether 22,7% would describe their wellbeing as either good or very good. Notably, none of our respondents stated that they were thriving.
Next, we asked our respondents to describe how they felt about this past semester. While most people state that they found it amazing, inspiring, good or ok, the most common way our respondents described the semester as stressful.
We also asked how students felt about the workload this semester on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being too light and 5 being too heavy. 50% of students stated that the workload was at a 4, so notably heavy.
Next, we asked whether or not our respondents have found their studies meaningful. Here are a few highlights from the responses:
“I'm honestly not sure if this is the field for me or if I'm ever going to get a related job (or get employed at all). But having already started in the master's programme, I feel like it's too late to call it quits now, and I wouldn't know what else I'd like to do anyway.”
“I like my studies but I am not sure what kind of job I want to look for after I graduate.”
“They have been interesting and that has motivated me, but I did not have many courses this spring so I felt a bit sluggish since I did not have enough to do and therefore the threshold to start doing any schoolwork increased.”
“My studies have been meaningful because they helped me grow academically and personally. I learned more about multilingualism, communication, and education, and I could connect many topics to my future goals in teaching and research. Although the workload was sometimes stressful, I feel the courses were valuable and interesting.”
Next, we asked how our respondents are feeling about the upcoming summer holidays. The results were notably much more mixed than the ones regarding the semester.
We asked students to clarify why they felt this way, and while some stated that they’re “looking forward to a lazy summer of doing nothing meaningful at all”, a lot of people also stated that they were stressed about money because they couldn’t find a summer job. Others were more worried about the lack of rest caused by work: “the semester already drained me quite a bit, and now I will be working all summer with not much time to recharge” one respondent stated. So, especially in the current job market, money causes a lot of stress for students.
In the next section, we asked students about their experiences and their satisfaction with the University of Helsinki.
When asked about the university, the majority of our respondents felt supported and that they had adequate resources. However, a whopping 40,9% stated that they did not feel supported by the university. This was also reflected in the next question, where we asked students to tell us how satisfied they feel with the university on a scale from 1, very disappointed to 5, very satisfied. The overall satisfaction was not very high.
When asked to elaborate on these answers, we got responses like these:
“I personally did not receive much information about mental health or wellbeing services during the semester, so I was not always aware of what kinds of support were available. As an international student, clearer communication and more visible guidance about wellbeing resources could be very helpful. More regular reminders, workshops, or orientation about student support services might help students feel more supported.”
“The university puts profit over its students and researchers. AI is being forced down our throats even though it has no value to academics, especially in the humanities. Also, the university still has a very neutral stance on genocide.”
The third section of the survey focused on YTHS, or FSHS in English, the Finnish Student Health Service. First, we asked whether or not our students had contacted YTHS, what that had been about and whether or not they are currently receiving care from YTHS. Here’s what they said:
Next, we asked respondents to rate how satisfied they were with YTHS services on a scale from 1 to 5, 1 again being very disappointed and 5 being very satisfied. The results lean mostly positive, but the majority have ranked their satisfaction somewhere in the middle.
Students’ experiences with YTHS really vary:
“The one time I tried reaching out to YTHS with a mental health issue, I was dismissed and belittled and given a 45-minute lecture on stuff I already knew. I haven't tried since, even when I was in some really murky waters and almost ready to give up.”
“I'm satisfied with the oral health part. The physical health -- it wasn't the outcome I was hoping for and I felt like I didn't get the help I needed at the time.”
“I have only received some prescriptions for medications through YTHS and that has worked well, but I have not used the services apart from that.”
“I personally don't have any complaints on the service I've received from YTHS, it's just the long wait times that lower my satisfaction.”
In the final section, we asked students about finances and the future and how they felt about those things. First, we wanted to know if students had faced any financial issues this year, and the answers were equally split:
When asked what issues they faced, most answered that their issues were related to unemployment, as well as student benefits and housing benefits being cut. With that in mind, we asked how students would be financing their lives over the summer, since most of us do not receive student benefits during the holidays. Here’s what they said:
We also asked, what other ways our respondents would be using to finance their living expenses. Almost everyone said that the way for them to balance the cost of living without benefits or work was through family support. Some live with their parents, others are staying with families temporarily and others receive direct financial assistance from their parents.
Then we asked how students are currently feeling about the job market. As expected, the responses were mostly negative. Many described feeling horrible or terrified, some said that it is downright devastating. One respondent even said that they “switch between crying and just wanting to leave this country for good”. It is clear that students are not feeling great about the job market. Not even those who currently have jobs, as one respondent stated: “I am very grateful that I currently have a job but feel very worried and sympathetic that many students do not have jobs for the summer even though they tried to get them. If I was not employed I would feel quite anxious.”
Next, we asked whether or not our respondents felt that their studies were preparing them for working life after university, and nearly two thirds of respondents stated that they felt it was complicated. This is clearly tied to both how students feel about the job market in general and how they inspired they feel about their studies.
Finally, we asked how students feel about the future in general. The responses varied quite a lot, as some stated that they were very anxious and others were much more hopeful. Here are some examples of how the future feels like for our current students:
“A bit pessimistic. The job market seems extremely limited so I am honestly pretty worried about needing to find a job after graduation.”
“I try not to think about it because it scares me.”
“Somewhat unsure but got to stay optimistic for the sake of my mental health”
“In terms of my own employment somewhat hopeful. In terms of the future altogether, quite terrible.”
“Conflicted, the job market isn't the best at the moment and majoring in English philology doesn't really help the case. But I am excited about other things, like building a future with my boyfriend and being more independent.”
Altogether, students are feeling stressed, anxious and unsure about their studies and the future. Finances and the job market pop up as causes of concern, and many feel like they have been left stranded and vulnerable. Thankfully some optimism is sprinkled in here and there. And, at the very least, we all know we’re not the only ones struggling, so we can find comfort in each other. Let’s hope it gets better soon.
