Interrupted trajectories: university students' reasons for temporarily suspending their studies during the pandemic

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the continuity of the educational trajectories of many students who have had to suspend their studies temporarily or permanently. In the case of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the General Secretary’s office stated in 2020 that 20% of students were at risk of dropping out of school due to the pandemic, while by 2021 the number of students requesting temporary suspension of their studies increased by 228%. In order to identify the reasons put forward by the student body for submitting to the Technical Council of their entity a temporary suspension of studies, a mixed convergent study was conducted in which the causes given by 268 students of the Psychology degree of the Faculty of Psychology of the UNAM, both open and attendance systems, for temporarily suspending their studies are analyzed. The purpose is to understand, based on the voice of the students, the problems they have been experiencing during the pandemic without being able to achieve continuity with the theoretical trajectory typified by the school administration. The results indicate the interrelation of factors associated with socioeconomic or labor conditions of the students and their families, responsibilities and problems at home, lack of appropriate technological infrastructure, health and emotional problems, educational conditions and prior academic lag, as well as dissatisfaction and demotivation regarding the online education received and the reduction of the school semester. Proposals for attention and prevention of college dropout during the pandemic are discussed.