ET-MAY22-PG20-25.qxp_Page 6 09/05/2022 14:48 Page 21


VIEWS & OPINION


How universities can facilitate stress-free student living


Comment by BRUCE GIRDLESTONE, Sales and Marketing Director at Glide Student


A significant part of university life involves students finding their independence, but this can come with its fair share of stress. For many students, the combination of living by themselves for the first time and keeping up with study goals is a significant task in itself. Add a global pandemic to the equation and stress levels can understandably skyrocket. When it comes to mental health,


many universities have often been one step ahead of other governing bodies. However, they now need to look beyond helplines and workshops and explore how students are living and actively address their primary causes of stress. The difficulty of studying is a challenge in itself, but many students are also burdened with having to meet monthly financial responsibilities and working hard to budget finances in order to pay their bills on time, such as Wi-Fi, water and energy.


Importance of stress-free living One of the common snags that has presented itself over the last year for students is a higher dependency on broadband connectivity. According to Ofcom, the average daily time spent online by UK adults grew from 3 hours and 29 minutes in September 2019 to 4 hours and 2 minutes in April 2020. Yet for many students, there remains a digital divide that places


further tension on their university experience. One third of young people do not have any internet access at all, and many more lack the quality of connection needed to work or learn from home. Access to sufficient, private and secure mobile or broadband data services is taken for granted. If a student cannot afford adequate access to data then they are increasingly excluded from opportunities, further increasing their stress, impacting their mental health and overall performance in their studies. With constant assignments and exams, today’s students have


to continuously stay on their game to achieve grades, and this is hampered further due to the connectivity issues introduced by the digital divide. In fact, research has found that Generation X is the most stressed out generation in years. The UK Government is actively trying to minimise the digital


divide, and Gigabit infrastructure within universities can play a prominent role in this. Internet speeds are able to scale and the opportunity for first-grade connectivity is at an all-time high. A full-fibre delivery that uses the latest network technology will provide a reliable and future-proofed service. For purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), gigabit broadband means greater speed and productivity. With this in place, young people are given equal levels of Wi-Fi connectivity and access to the internet. However, universities must step up and use the rise in gigabit infrastructure to put in place new schemes that will provide a stress-free environment for their students.


Smart campus schemes The answer is in utilising a smart campus ecosystem that meets


May 2022


the increased expectations on technology in education while providing long term sustainability and scalability. For many freshers living in student accommodation owned by universities, the universities can look to incorporate these buildings into various smart campus schemes. The smart campus is defined as “a network-enabled


environment with interconnected buildings across a campus or metropolitan area with every current and future service- connected and an ultra-fast connection for everyone.” It exists to support constantly-evolving technology within


university campuses and promote happier, healthier and safer students. Buildings should use automated processes to manage heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, security and other systems to help deliver a first-class student experience. This will help to create a positive living environment for the students, decreasing stress and increasing productivity. Only a few years ago, a smart campus may have sounded like


something out of a dystopian future. Yet now with the rise in gigabit infrastructure, it is firmly within reach, and the pandemic has created the demand that should push universities to invest in it. Expectations have changed when it comes to access to high


bandwidth and seamless connectivity. Students need constant access to secure and reliable connections in communal areas, HMOs (house in multiple occupation), halls of residence or even Starbucks. While the smart campus is much more than broadband, a resilient, fast and scalable connection is the first step in deployment, and it all begins with laying high capacity fibre. Fibre is capable of delivering next generation multi-gigabit


connectivity across university campuses. Dark Fibre networks can be used to link university buildings and the broader estate, including student blocks and HMOs, through a long-term model that provides low fees. A smart campus should hide complexity, leaving the simple


benefits such as speed, interoperability and reliability so that whether you’re a student, lecturer or support staff, easy experiences are being achieved. Flexibility is crucial and the infrastructure should be scalable to support university growth whilst also capable of evolving to support new technologies without disruption to students.


Ultimately, a smart campus


should look beyond standard smart-device deployment, such as lighting, energy management, HVAC & security, and be the foundation for achieving world-class sustainability to benefit students. With that in mind, universities need to join up their entire


network - not only the university campus itself but also purpose- built student accommodation (PBSAs), HMOs, student union buildings, libraries and everywhere in between. Smart campus infrastructure doesn’t only provide a reliable solution to short- term connectivity issues and the digital divide, but it also offers long-term scalability that can continuously be tweaked, upgraded and expanded to fit the institution’s needs as they shift. The smart campus is the future of higher education and the


solution to how universities can facilitate stress-free living for students.


www.education-today.co.uk 21


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48