The masks and the subjective precariousness: Effects of Pandemic on the Life of College Students

Abstract

The manuscript is based on the experience of two extension actions of the Education and Mental Health Movement Project - MEDUSA. These actions generated significant discussions to reflect on the effects of the pandemic and the ERE on the lives of university students, which is the objective of the present manuscript. Aspects related to the mental health of university students are discussed, such as: excessive study load; adaptation to the new context; new sleep and eating routines; demands for time organization and study strategies; the difficult equation between work, family and studies; among others. Also noteworthy is the production of the tripod of the degraded academy: academic vanity, productivism and meritocracy. Finally, six effects of the pandemic on students' lives are identified and discussed, which has contributed to the construction of subjective precariousness.