Colman Noctor: Campus life is a vital learning opportunity for students to connect

Young people need in-person interaction with peers to develop, and this cannot be replicated online. Picture: iStock

Last week, reports suggested the Department of Further and Higher Education wanted third-level institutions to reduce students’ time on campus by condensing timetables and increasing online lectures. 

The intention, we were told, was to ease ongoing accommodation pressures. However, James Lawless, the minister who heads the department, has since refuted these claims, stating there are no plans to reduce time on campus.

His clarification was a relief, because while Ireland’s student accommodation crisis is real, urgent, and deeply unfair, cutting student time on campus is not sensible. I am well aware many students are pushed to their limit trying to find rooms that cost more than some mortgages.

But reducing on-campus attendance would be disastrous for students, who are struggling in an increasingly contactless society.

College life has changed, and not for the better. Students in my therapy room report feelings of loneliness. Nights out are now rare, and many cannot attend because they have a long commute.

Going to university is not just an academic step — it is a psychological milestone. It signifies the loosening of parental support and the strengthening of inner resilience. Living away from home, even if only during the week, allows young adults to practise independence in manageable doses. They learn to cook and to budget, and they learn to negotiate shared space with housemates. 

Many young adults develop autonomy only when no one is reminding them to empty the dishwasher. While these gains may be fewer for those living at home near campus, many say this exposure offers valuable insight into independent living and serves them well when they eventually move out.

These experiences are not merely incidental to education — they are crucial for becoming an adult.

The covid lockdowns taught us that students who remained at home and attended lectures from their childhood bedrooms were delayed in crucial developmental milestones.

Parents tell me they want their children to be confident, socially capable, and emotionally resilient. However, those traits are not downloaded via an app; they develop and grow within real-world communities.

Humans are wired for connection. Especially during late adolescence and early adulthood, peer relationships are vital to their identity. Campuses serve as fertile ground for this, acting as vibrant spaces to live, laugh, learn, and love.

We underestimate the significance of belonging, which is highly protective for our mental wellbeing. It reduces anxiety, guards against depression, and enhances academic achievement. When students feel connected, whether to classmates, lecturers, clubs, or societies, they are more likely to persevere.

Hybrid learning, though adaptable, can diminish that sense of community. When students attend campus only occasionally, it becomes harder to build friendships. Casual chats after lectures, shared walks around campus, and spontaneous coffee invites become less frequent. And it is often these spontaneous moments that turn acquaintances into friends.

I say this as someone who manages a postgraduate blended programme that is 80% online.

However, similar to remote working, remote learning tends to be more suitable for older student groups who have already refined the skills needed to form friendships, whereas for young adults in their late teens and early 20s, it is developmentally limiting.

Loneliness among third-level students

Over the past five years, I have noticed a loneliness among third-level students that deeply concerns me. It is the quiet, socially acceptable type: The student seems to be ‘doing fine’ academically, but is missing the daily micro-interactions that boost self-esteem and sense of identity.

This is significant from a mental-health standpoint.

Emerging adulthood is already a period of increased risk for anxiety disorders, depression, and feelings of inadequacy. Campus life should offer protective factors, such as proximity to peers, visible supports, informal mentoring, and shared struggles.

The culture of certain groups can significantly influence a student’s journey through higher education. Close-knit and supportive groups provide a much more positive experience than fragmented or divided ones. 

That’s why, in the School of Nursing at SETU Waterford, we have been implementing a ‘facilitating friendships’ component in our induction for first-year students. This initiative introduces new students to each other through games and ice-breakers, helping them get to know one another from the start. Some may think this is unnecessary, but it is welcomed by all students and receives very positive evaluations.

The landscape of student social skills has evolved, and educational institutions need to invest in fostering such initiatives to help build connection and improve the student experience.

University life is like a rehearsal. It is a semi-structured environment where mistakes are easily corrected. You can fail an exam and retake it. You can join a student society and decide it’s not for you. You can experiment with identity, interests, and ideas within a relatively forgiving ecosystem. But for that rehearsal space to be optimal, it must have physical presence.

Yes, accommodation remains scarce. Yes, rents are high. But if any solution involves reducing students’ time on campus, it will unintentionally limit the developmental richness of college life; we will pay a different price, one measured not in euros but in confidence, social skills, and psychological resilience. 

I understand why some students might prefer hybrid learning and why some young adults favour remote working roles. Less travel, lower costs, and the comfort of being at home are appealing.

For certain students, particularly those with caring responsibilities, disabilities, or financial difficulties, this kind of flexibility can be liberating. However, what we want and what we actually need often differ significantly, and there are important trade-offs to consider in exchange for such conveniences.

Debating in a seminar room is qualitatively different from typing in a chat box. Presenting to a room full of peers fosters a different kind of courage than speaking into a webcam. Navigating group dynamics face-to-face develops interpersonal literacy in ways that online breakout rooms rarely replicate.

We need to consider whether we want our young adults to obtain degrees, complete tasks, or develop their sense of identity. While a degree can be earned and tasks completed online, adult growth requires friction, negotiation, and shared experience.

I fully accept that Ireland urgently needs more affordable student accommodation, but young people also greatly require meaningful, embodied connection.

Investing in purpose-built student housing, creatively utilising underused spaces, and planning for the long term may be slow and more expensive. However, it would preserve the quality of the student experience, which is important.

When today’s students look back in 20 years, they are unlikely to reminisce about the efficiency of hybrid timetables. They will remember the house they shared, the friend who stayed up all night helping them prepare for exams, the lecturer who recognised their potential, and the community that gave them the confidence to speak publicly.

These are not sentimental add-ons. They are psychologically shaping events.

We must champion policies that recognise young adults as more than just logistical factors in a housing equation. They are developing minds, emerging identities, and future citizens.

We can and must tackle the student accommodation crisis. But let us be sure we are not creating a connection crisis in the process.

• Note: These are the individual views of Dr Colman Noctor and not SETU Waterford.
• Dr Colman Noctor is a child psychotherapist