{"id":6803,"date":"2020-11-13T15:00:37","date_gmt":"2020-11-13T15:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/?p=6803"},"modified":"2020-11-13T16:08:24","modified_gmt":"2020-11-13T16:08:24","slug":"the-digital-demand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2020\/11\/13\/the-digital-demand\/","title":{"rendered":"The Digital Demand"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

First-year undergraduate student, Peter, tells CONNECTED how grateful he is to donors for their support which will enable him to buy a laptop \u2013 an item that is now considered as essential in this increasingly digital learning environment that the pandemic is creating.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lockdown and social distancing restrictions have led to the University of Reading adopting a blended learning approach, which mixes online pre-recorded learning, with face-to-face interactive teaching. Due to this move, a laptop and reliable broadband have become more vital than ever before.<\/p>\n

This challenge was recognised by donors who stepped up to support students via the Digital Support Fund<\/a>. The fund was set up to help the most disadvantaged students participate in online teaching and access resources by providing grants of up to \u00a3500<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Peter \u2013 one of the students who benefitted from this fund \u2013 has just started a four-year Pharmacy<\/a> degree at Reading, and he told CONNECTED how important the support of donors has been to his academic success.<\/p>\n

Nowhere else to turn<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Peter was unable to ask his family for extra money to buy the laptop he needed for his university studies. Without the support of donors, he would have had nowhere left to turn to ask for help.<\/p>\n

He explained: \u201cThe pandemic has badly impacted my family\u2019s financial situation \u2013 my dad is a taxi driver and there just isn\u2019t the work for him at the moment, so both my parents are now relying on Universal Credit. I just couldn\u2019t ask them for help knowing how insecure their own finances are. My older sister helps provide for the family through her job as a trainee solicitor, but my brother is also studying at university so my family aren\u2019t able to give me any extra money.<\/p>\n

\u201cI worked in a pharmacy throughout my gap year to fund my studies. I was working there during the first lockdown and I spent a lot of time talking to people in the long queues and trying to help them. I met a lot of interesting people in that job and I was pleased to be able to do my bit to help during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHowever, despite working I didn\u2019t have any money left over to purchase the laptop I badly needed. My wages went towards other essentials such as food and accommodation, so I applied for help from the Digital Support Fund \u2013 which is entirely funded by donor support.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

An invaluable resource<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Peter felt extremely grateful when he found out his application was successful and he would be receiving a grant to help him purchase the laptop that was so essential to his studies.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cI was so relieved when I found out I had been awarded this grant. Pharmacy is a course with a full timetable of lectures from 9am \u2013 6pm every weekday.<\/p>\n

\n

“With about 80% of my degree now online due to COVID-19, owning a laptop is essential and I would have struggled to participate fully in my studies without one.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThis money will enable me to buy a high-quality laptop which will aid me throughout the four years of my degree, and will be an invaluable resource for my education.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cLike so many, my family has felt the full force of strained finances during the pandemic. I would like to thank the donors who have helped me. I don\u2019t know what I would have done without this support.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Supporting students<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Unfortunately there are more students finding themselves with nowhere else to turn as the pandemic continues to create financial challenges \u2013 similar to Peter\u2019s.<\/p>\n

The Student Support Fund provides emergency grants to students in unexpected financial crisis; when they have run out of other options and dropping out of university is a very real possibility.<\/p>\n

Find out more about our\u00a0Student Hardship Appeal<\/a>, or how you can\u00a0get involved<\/a> through the IMAGINE campaign.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First-year undergraduate student, Peter, tells CONNECTED how grateful he is to donors for their support which will enable him to buy a laptop \u2013 an item that is now considered as essential in this increasingly digital learning environment that the pandemic is creating. 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