Covid 19 stalked their final high school years, now it's following them to university

First-year university students miss out on social events. Photo / Getty Images

High school leavers hoping to put Covid-19 in the past have been hard hit with the reality Omicron could spread in their first year at university.

After their final high school years were disrupted by the pandemic, many leavers have "Covid burnout", a psychologist suggests.

Now, universities are cancelling orientation week events and first-year students are faced with potentially having to self-isolate in a new place.

Victoria University postponed its O-Week until July, Otago University cancelled its orientation week and other universities have few events going ahead. Most lectures at the University of Auckland are to be held online until the middle of April in anticipation of Omicron spreading.

Former John Paul College head girl Charlotte Hall, who is going to Auckland University of Technology this year, felt the pandemic was tied to high school.

"Our year group has been hit a lot and now it's just flowing into our next stage ... how much more adaptable can we be?" she said.

"It's hit a lot of us, it's like 'hang on a minute why is this not done with?'

"I don't wanna be interrupted ... I wanna be meeting people and I want it to be as normal as possible."

Former John Paul College head girl Charlotte Hall heads to AUT this year to study engineering. Photo / File

Hall said O-Week plans had changed a lot with a toga party cancelled and bars limited to 100 people.

"We're not going to get that social aspect which everyone was looking forward to."

Hall said without O-week it would be harder for students to get on their feet.

"If I get it [Omicron], I'm not worried about being sick, I'm just worried about the effect of isolating and it spreading."

Hall will be living in the student halls and felt there was potential to isolate in the first semester.

"You're trying to find comfort in other people ... but if you're just on your own, you're more alone than ever and it's all new."

Former Tauranga Boys' College student Shahil Shearman, who is also going to AUT, also felt the pandemic was associated with high school.

He said many things were taken away in high school, now "it's still here, if not getting worse and moving into a whole new stage of education".

"People are trying to stay mentally strong and you just have to keep on swimming."

Shearman said without orientation, first-year students were "going in blind".

"We'll have to get used to life in a new kind of world in just a flash."

Shearman said he was worried about the difficulties of online school.

"It's that fear of missing that first semester."

However, Shearman said he was not worried about isolating with new people.

"I think it will bring people closer ... you'll work your way through it together."

Senior clinical psychologist at Massey University Palmerston North Kirsty Ross said students were experiencing a lot of "Covid burnout".

"People like to be able to close the door on stuff and say 'well, that was associated with that' and I can definitely understand the desire to not have the university associated with Covid."

Kirsty Ross, senior clinical psychologist and senior lecturer at Massey University Palmerston North. Photo / File

Ross said it was important for students to articulate their feelings of "I thought I parked it [Covid-19] with high school and that makes me feel really angry and sad".

By doing this, people can experience this emotion together.

Ross said O-Week was not just about drinking and partying, "it's bonding, it's that feeling of I'm putting down roots".

Ross said parents would be worried if their children had to self-isolate.

"The knowledge that they [students] may be sitting in their hostel room by themselves for 10 days, I think is something that many parents would be feeling nervous about."

Regardless of orientation cancellations, students should be excited to learn new things, meet a variety of people and have the freedom to make their own choices, Ross said.

Former John Paul College student Maddie Potter, who plans to study at the University of Canterbury, said her year group had been heavily impacted by Covid-19 and many of them were excited for the freedom the first year of university offered.

"Now it's becoming so frustrating.

"It is that added stress dealing with that on top of starting at a new university and making friends and a whole new way of life."

Former John Paul College student Maddie Potter. Photo / Supplied

Potter said she was "gutted" to see one of the O-Week events she was going to cancelled.

"It makes me think if that one's gone, then the rest aren't that far away."

While she wasn't anxious about getting Omicron, the potential of missing school or orientation while so far from home was "pretty scary".

Waikato University director of student services Mike Calvert said there were bound to be disruptions.

"There'll be students that have to isolate and won't be able to engage in their studies and that's going to be going on for some time.

Waikato University director of student services Mike Calvert. Photo / Stephen Barker, Barker Photography

"There won't be any of those big organised university events."

Calvert said the Waikato pōwhiri, interhall events and lecture-style gatherings to brief students wouldn't take place in person.

"It's not going to be quite the same but it's still hopefully going to be something much better than being all our learning alone which is what we had with lockdown.

"It's a little bit disappointing but I'm still confident it will be a great experience for the students."