Students’ Experience Two Years Into the Pandemic at a Bulgarian University

After the pandemic began in March 2020, universities in Bulgaria suspended in-person learning. In the current 2021-22 academic year, schools shut down again in areas of Bulgaria where COVID-19 infection rates spiked, returning students to online learning. This study investigates the experiences of undergraduate students at a Bulgarian university about the impacts of the pandemic on the classes, the satisfaction level with online learning, as well as their perceived impacts on daily life, economic situation, health condition, stress, and life planning. A questionnaire containing both Likert-style and open-ended questions was sent to a group of students at a university in Bulgaria. Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Half of the respondents reported that their taking class was impacted, while almost a fourth of them reported complete dissatisfaction with online classes, complaining about low efficiency, tediousness, and decreased motivation. In addition to physical and mental health impacts, more than half of the respondents reported worrying about the future. Some respondents couldn't compensate for the lost income and had to return to their hometowns. These findings imply the need to provide support to students not only to improve the academic quality of classes but also in the economical and mental health aspects.

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