Lamenting Lockdown: A Students Point Of View

3 Days left, this is what all 7 of us keep telling ourselves. We've missed the bizarre non-freshers freshers week, pubs are now closing at 10pm, and we've all started to go a little mad.

The strange thing is how self-isolation has affected us all differently, we've bonded, drank silly amounts considering we're in the flat, and talked of the things we're starting to miss. For me its my friends, and also the window of opportunity to MAKE friends. Granted, I had a few days here at Salford to make friends - and social media is essentially the new way to get to know every Tom, Dick and Harry in the local area - but somehow I feel that the inability to leave the fourth floor of my student flat has slowly started to send me mental. We all unanimously agreed we missed the outdoors, all for different reasons, but some days the weather has been so lovely and we've just had to watch like prisoners.

Like me, my flatmate Holly misses the fresh air and the freedom, the inability to just go on a walk at night because you feel like stretching your legs, or you and some friends want to - safely - go to the pub for a nice drink, the lack of freedom to do that is emotionally draining. Our shopping has been massively affected too, usually if you needed milk it was a quick 10 minute trip to the student shop, whereas now its finding a slot with Tesco, and ordering a massive shop which doesn't really go far enough.

We're missing being students. I know there are restrictions, but realistically, we can still go to the pub, we can still go out and just, do. Shopping, socialising, all the other stupid shit students get up too. Joel has probably drawn the shortest straw, the only male in a group of 6 girls, and he is starting to miss male companionship - but we're all missing our friends on the outside, I know we'd all give a lot to go see our mates down the pub, or just go for a cheeky McDonalds or whatever we can get these days.

We believe that the University could've done more as an institution, we have been very much left in the dark concerning our situation, and one phone call or email could've helped calm our nerves in this uncertain time. We haven't been completely stuck however, Campus Living (the organisation that runs our accommodation) have been excellent, delivering shopping and post and taking away the rubbish from the kitchen. The reality is this is a whole new world for everyone, and we must be one of the first flats to isolate at the whole university; there is, in all likelihood, no protocol yet in place.

I can't complain, I'm healthy and I'm nearly on the other side - but for thousands of other students up and down the UK, this is just the beginning, some are being careless, some act like there isn't a global pandemic - we're all acting as if we're indestructible, even if we think we're being careful. But, I don't think we're fully to blame here; the government has definitely got blood on their hands, we - as a nation - have been given a taste of freedom, and now we want our cake and we are full well intending on eating it.