The Reasons for Distress of First-Semester Students During Covid-19 Pandemic and Mitigation Measures

Due to governmental restrictions in Germany regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, presential lectures were either just permitted under strict conditions or not at all. This led to a switch to an online format, which in turn had effects on the students and their perception of stress. This paper investigates the root causes of stress among first-semester students at a mid-sized university in southern Germany. In a quantitative-qualitative approach, 112 first-semester students (69,6 % female) participated in an anonymized survey that contained closed and open questions regarding the reasons for their perceived stress. In the end, the participants had the chance to give additional input on how they think the university can help to reduce stress levels. The most frequently reported reasons for stress were examination (69%), self-managed learning/ online format (57%), and social interaction (53%). The students expressed their wish for more information regarding the general operating procedure and the scope of coursework and exams. Furthermore, many felt overwhelmed with the manifold online tools of the university and were not able to manage their time efficiently. Easy-to-implement measures for the university to support the students are introductory courses to the platforms, a dedicated timetable for the study programs, and time management seminars. These and other measures are presented within this paper.