Impact of Lockdown on the Attitude of University Students in South India—A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

INTRODUCTION: The whole world is under the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which has put all nations in a unique lockdown situation to contain the disease. Though the environment got ameliorated with low pollution levels, this unexpected lockdown has taken a toll on humans’ mental health. As the effects of lockdown can affect college students due to fear, anxiety and stress, this study intends to assess the attitude of the university students. METHODOLOGY: An online questionnaire survey comprising 15 questions was conducted among four South Indian state university students. Their responses were recorded through Google Forms. The submitted responses were analysed using SPSS software version 17. RESULTS: In total, 1241 responses were recorded from university students belonging to various faculties. Though 43% considered this lockdown as a convenient break, 60% could not focus on their studies. The importance of renewing relationships was felt by 47%, and 83% tried to learn a new skill. Students from Tamil Nadu were looking forward towards a brighter future after the lockdown. CONCLUSION: This survey conducted in the early days of lockdown indicated that the university students were not anxious about the long-term effects of the pandemic but showed a decline in their academic performance.