Background and Introduction

On March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was characterized as a global pandemic (World Health Organization (WHO, 2020). In an effort to mitigate the spread of the virus, colleges switched from in-person to remote learning (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2022). This switch in learning format had its consequences; there is evidence that COVID-19-related school closures had a negative effect on the academic achievement and performance of students (Hammerstein et al., 2020). For example, it was found in a study involving students from Hanyang University College of Medicine in Korea that there was a significant decrease in average test scores in 10 out of 16 classes (62.5%) that transitioned to an online format (Kim et al., 2021). Another study concluded that COVID-19-related school closures resulted in learning loss, particularly among students from disadvantaged and low socioeconomic status (SES) homes (Engzell et al., 2021). Often, these students do not have the same privileges as their high-SES peers, such as the availability and support of parents, reliable access to the internet and technology, and secure housing (George et al., 2021; Lederer et al., 2020).

Online classes also raised concerns about the mental and physical health of educators and students alike. In a study conducted at a large public United States university, participants reported increased snacking due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Son et al., 2020). Additionally, they reported that the COVID-19 pandemic led to them experiencing depressive and suicidal thoughts (Son et al., 2020). Social isolation, which is exacerbated by the previously discussed changes to learning, was commonly cited as a key contributor to poor mental and physical health (Elmer et al., 2020; Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry, 2020, Son et al., 2020).

Although it is well-known that the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the education, mental health, and physical health of college students, the role that living situation (i.e., on-campus versus off-campus) played in modifying the pandemic remains to be explored. Many college students believed that living off-campus during the 2020–2021 academic year meant missing out on new experiences and opportunities, but it is uncertain if there were truly advantages or benefits of living on-campus. This study utilizes a Qualtrics survey that was distributed at the University of Michigan (U-M) campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan to better understand the relationship between the effects of COVID-19 and living situation. Ultimately, these findings could help identify problem areas in the QOL of college students amid the pandemic and give us a better idea of how to address them.

Methods

Data Analysis and Collection

After the closure of the survey, independent t-tests were performed with JASP to determine if there were any significant differences between the responses of off-campus and on-campus participants for each of the five factors (i.e., diet, education, exercise, sleep, and social activity). A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Box and whisker plots were generated to visualize the results (Figure 1). The responses to the mental and physical health questions were also compiled and examined for general differences and trends (Figure 2).

Figure 1: Box and whisker plots for diet, education, exercise, sleep, and social activity of participants. Off-campus is in dark gray and on-campus is in light gray.

Figure 2: Pie charts depicting the response distributions for the “how would you describe your mental health?” and “how would you describe your physical health?” questions in the Qualtrics survey.

Discussion and Results

Conclusion

This study provides insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected life for college students, and analyzes the relationship between these effects and their places of residency. The findings presented here suggest that making more resources focused on enhancing education, diet, social activity, and mental health available to students would most effectively improve their QOL. For example, free public transportation to grocery stores would greatly help students, especially those who do not have their own vehicle, with their diet. For mental health, it has been demonstrated that individual counseling and peer support groups are useful tools for reducing anxiety and depression (Viswanathan et al., 2020; Suresh et al., 2021). Of course, this study has its limitations and only tells part of the story. One limitation is that there were no explicit definitions for on-campus and off-campus. The participants simply responded with yes or no to the question of “Are you currently living on-campus?” Future research should specify what is considered on-campus (e.g., residence halls) versus off-campus (e.g., living with parents), as well as include a larger and more representative sample of college students by surveying at different campuses. Additional questions to probe for specific variables that might contribute to the differences between living on-campus versus off-campus would be helpful too (e.g., “How are you maintaining your physical health” and “Why would you describe your mental health as only fair?”). By asking these questions, the COVID-19-related issues that are faced by on-campus and off-campus college students can be further identified and addressed.