Young students have been heavily penalized this year following the very anxiety-provoking context we are facing. The government has put in place several measures to help them. We also offer you, in this article, a compilation of advice and measures to put into practice to get through this particular period and be able to cope with isolation!
Isolation and depression among students: “psych checks” to the rescue
Today in France, 31% of students are in psychological distress. It is for this reason that the government worked in collaboration with FondaMental (a foundation specializing in mental illnesses) to develop a platform called ecouteetudiants-iledefrance.fr. His goal? Support and listen to students experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts. The service is completely free.
The platform is mainly based on a questionnaire completed by the student which will take stock of their psychological state. If the student feels deep discomfort, he must be the first to become aware of it in order to remedy it.
The government has also called on 150 psychologists and plans to provide 40,000 free consultations.
Student housing: A new partnership with the Red Cross
Whether you are in BTS, at university or in prep school, the government will open, in partnership with the Red Cross, hotel rooms for students in precarious situations, from February 4. Requests will be communicated by university presidents.
This initiative opens 400 places in four Accor hotels in Ile de France. The government’s objective is to maintain student housing, which is why the Red Cross is working together with the Crous to provide them with stable housing quickly.
The government has also signed an agreement with the federation of solidarity actors (FAS) to financially assist students sent to university campuses. The aid will consist of an advance from APL which will allow them to pay the deposit of three months’ rent.
Loss of income and financial difficulties: The new “Student Loan” system
Many students have lost their extra income due to the pandemic. Those most affected by this loss of income even plan to abandon their studies.
Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region, clarified during an interview with Le Figaro :“We will guarantee 15,000 student loans from partner banks of the “student loan” system: Société Générale, Banque Populaire, Caisse d’Épargne, Crédit Mutuel and CIC. Young people who apply for a student loan from these banks will therefore be able to request a guarantee from the region.”
Furthermore, Stanislas Guerini, general delegate of LREM, announced in the world the establishment of what he calls “young capital” intended for 18-25 year olds. The objective is to enable students to launch into working life via a zero-interest loan of €10,000, repayable over 30 years. Stanislas Guerini indicates that this loan is repayable only “ if we reach a certain level of income, which I propose to set at 1,800 euros gross per month. It is a risk-free loan because if you do not reach this income, you do not have to repay. »
Student insecurity: Emmanuel Macron’s new announcements
During this crisis, young students felt abandoned. Emmanuel Macron went to Paris-Saclay University to speak with students and reassure them. He still announced that “ the next few weeks will be hard. » There will therefore be no return to normal for this second quarter, as evidenced by HEC Paris’ decision to remain 100% remote.
The President of the Republic informed them of the measures taken to help students during this period:
- Meal scheme for 1 euro at the Crous open to all students (non-scholarship holders or foreigners) for two meals per day.
- Return in person once a week if the student feels the need or if the teachers deem it necessary.
- Creation of 20,000 tutor jobs of 12 hours per week.
- Psychological checks.
Editor’s advice to avoid student isolation
Take care of your mental health
It is important to become aware of the words you repeat to yourself daily. Your subconscious will activate to give your thoughts a physical reality. It’s like the Coué method.
The good news is that your subconscious can be reprogrammed. In order to get all the benefits from your subconscious, it is important to feed it with positive images. As such, spend 10 to 15 minutes a day visualizing positive scenes and internally repeating positive affirmations formulated in the present tense. Your subconscious has no concept of time. This is why a future or negative formulation will have no effect, since it is not compatible with your subconscious.
We also advise you to “harvest the present day, without worrying about tomorrow”. This expression taken from Horace’s poem takes on its full meaning in times of coronavirus. It reminds us that time is limited, that it is important to live the present moment intensely and not to put anything off until tomorrow. We are currently experiencing events that prove how uncertain the future is. The only freedom we have left in the face of the passage of time is the present moment. It is therefore important to enjoy what is given to us and not complain about what has been taken from us.
Do sports
Physical activity has countless benefits for both your physical and mental health. It considerably reduces stress and its harmful effects. In fact, with 30 minutes of sport, you will be relieved of stress for at least two hours. Several studies have shown that the more anxious you are, the more you benefit from the tranquilizing effect of sport.
Furthermore, it has been proven that physical activity increases the secretion of serotonin in the blood. It is a neurotransmitter that allows you to relax and release bad energies. In the same way, sport increases the level of endorphins, a euphoric hormone which is part of the same family as morphine.
Beyond sport, you can also cultivate a creative talent: painting, drawing, writing, music, video, photography… This will allow you to breathe, while developing skills that can be useful in the world of work and in your daily life. .
