Help us share your side of the story and how the strike has affected your student experience. With your help, we can build a unified voice to show all parties involved how much the strike has impacted each one of you and urge for a swift resolution.
SHARE YOUR STORY ⬇️
UPDATE: Sheridan Student Union Calls on Provincial Government to Demand a Resolution and Help Students Return to Class - Click here to read our latest Press Release
#HEAROURSIDE
STUDENTS SHARE HOW THIS STRIKE HAS TRULY IMPACTED THEM
"Furthermore, every day that the strike continues we lose more money. We, as students, invest in your institutes, vying for a relatively stable future. But the colleges have let us down. The faculties have let us down. Continue fighting for what you deem right. But don't let us suffer so much in the process." - Anonymous
"I'm in a program that's only one year long. It was supposed to give me what I needed to audition for other programs, but now I'm not sure I'll have enough skills to apply and audition for any other programs." - Anonymous
"Two weeks ago I became depressed. I have no life here. I came here for school. Without it, I feel like I have nothing." - Anonymous
"I'm an ALS student with many problems with anxiety depression and other mental and health diseases. Now they are going to crunch 6-7 weeks of work into 3 weeks on top of the work that those 3 weeks are needed for..." - Anonymous
"Being able to come to Sheridan and actually study what I love and am interested in made me the happiest I’ve been in a long time but now to have it all put on hold instantly brought back that stress I felt in high school." - Anonymous
"The strike has done nothing for students but impede our learning and fester anxiety and resentment. Not only is my education impacted, my financial stability is also affected." - Hailey
"This has become an added stressor in my life. The longer the strike goes on, the worse my mental health gets." - Catarina
"Not only does this mean that I will be worrying about final assignments and tests over the Christmas break, I might not even be able to go home and see my family at all this holiday." - Jessica
"This decision was something students got no say in, nor were prepared for, and are facing the severe consequences." - Shay
"The strike has thrown my life completely out of balance. It is not a vacation or a welcome break; it is a source of anxiety and uncertainty." - Alex
"Due to this strike, I find that I am now unable to find a job for the holidays due to the uncertainty of my schedule, which really sets me back financially." - Anonymous
"The only person who has been of any help what so ever during any of this is my programs T.A." - Amy
"I feel like I am wasting my time, energy and money that I worked hard for and this is so frustrating." - Anonymous
"I don't know what else to do. It's painful sitting in limbo with barely any options." - Maisie
"I know myself and other students have faced dealing with heightened anxiety and depression - and little to no mental health services." - Anonymous
"I want to drop this semester because I can’t work under stress, there is a lot to cover yet and there isn’t enough time." - Lina
"Not knowing when the strike will end has made it difficult for me to plan my future and see my family." - Chelsea
"Because of this strike I've lost motivation to do my homework and return to school. My mental health has declined due to the strike and my anxiety is extremely high because of not knowing what is going on." - Kelley
"The work load that will come with whatever we have left of the semester will be crazy." - Colin
"(That week back) is going to be pack full of stressful studying and assignments that ruin the peacefulness of Christmas and being with family."
"I feel very unmotivated because of the strike. The stress of the strike is causing me to become panicked." - Gabrielle
"All I want to do is go back to school. I was supposed to graduate this year, but now, I don't think I'll be able to, it's like a year of my life has been stolen..." Allison
"Not only is this strike negatively affecting my education (as someone with learning disabilities this is going to have a big impact once we return to class), but its also negatively affecting my income."
"This strike has completely halted mine and my son’s futures. While the world continues on, I am unable to move forward in my life to provide better stability for my family." - Lindsay
"It's safe to say that the strike has affected my mental health, leaving me with a variety of questions..." - Christopher
"I feel helpless, unwelcomed and betrayed. I came here to get as much education as I can from the teachers and masters, I came here for the dream and it is crashing. After a month. In the first semester." - Dasha
"I just started my semester and college studies this year in September 2017. I just studied for 40 days and its already around 25 days since the strike started." - Sarvesh
"I have tried to work on assignments during this strike but It is difficult to ask for critiques. I am not sure if I am headed in the right direction for my assignments as I can't contact my instructors."
"I'm an out of province student and booked my flight before the strike to go home for Christmas on December 16th like any normal person would. Now...I'm in an awful situation" - Hillary
"I gave up my full-time job and switched over to part-time because the course offerings were only during the day. Now for the past four weeks, we have been on strike. It feels like it was in vain now." - Karly
"I feel like I've had to put my life on hold for the past month. I've been so worried about my studies and completing this semester." - Melody
"I am someone who gets stressed very easily when under pressure and it causes me to have breakdowns and end up failing the semester. This strike has enhanced any anxiety I already have." - Kendra
"I have a 4.0 GPA and it would be terrible to have that drop because I need to finish work quickly so I can leave simply for a strike. Unbelievable my anxiety is the highest ever been which requires extra treatment." - Anonymous
"The strike has been one of the most stressful experiences I have had. I am completely unmotivated to finishing this semester because I know the amount of cramming that will happen when we return."
"My program is already intense on a regular schedule, the stress of knowing I now need to complete the semester in a compressed format is daunting."
"Postponed my plan for going to university the upcoming fall term after I graduated this spring." - Ivana
"By pushing back my graduation it has also put me at a disadvantage in terms of job searching." - Anonymous
"We have nothing to do. We're not allowed to work full time nor we are studying. It feels like I'm a liability to myself. We're left with nothing to do in CANADA." - Vaibhav
"They have no idea what people sacrifice to be here and to get this chance, the things and people they leave behind" - Kathryn
"The strike has acted as a major source of stress for my family and I. It has impacted employability for the breaks and summer which were reliant on completion of the semester." - Owen
"One, I am not being able to receive all the proper education that I signed up for and especially paid thousands of dollars for." - Bhoomie
"It has affected my graduation which in turn puts us at a disadvantage when looking for a job this year." - Sarah
"I did not expect this strike to go on for such a long time. Not only am I stressed and frustrated at the fact that I have no classes but there is also no concrete information being given." - Anonymous
"I'm worried, unmotivated, and stressed. It's really hard to stay positive lately." - Rosie
"The strike has had an extremely negative effect on my mental health. The time out of class has caused my anxiety and depression to come out in a way it hasn't in a long time due to the uncertainty in the situations going on. " - Taylor
"I was supposed to graduate in April as an ECE. My family was counting on me to finish and start working to help contribute financially."
"As a single mother, I don't have help, I don't have a support system but I work hard because I know schooling is the answer. This strike has caused me more stress and anxiety that I could have imagined." - Charlyn
"I've missed so much course material that will be hard to make up after we return. It's extremely frustrating to be sitting around doing nothing instead of learning, and it's completely unfair that our Christmas break is threatening to be shortened."
"The strike has been a really weird time for me altogether. I came to Sheridan to learn my passion for photography, but I am learning nothing." - Alex
"It’s also put a lot of undue pressure on me because I’m the kind of person who needs deadlines. Without a strike date in sight, it’s been really hard to stay motivated to stay on track.
"This program is tough enough with all the projects we have to submit on a weekly basis now it’s going to be condensed...it’ll be too much to catch up on work that I feel it will be too much and overwhelming and it will cause even more stress. " - Suesan
"We aren't learning anything by sitting at home and watching Netflix all day, some if not all of us would rather be in school which WE PAID for.
"There is the chance of extending the study period or drop of the semester, which results in extra burden." - Sukhdeep
"This is half a million voting students that have paid for a service...a service to learn" - Belinda
"I am not sure how are they going to manage it for students like me who are here only for one semester and have to submit their credits to continue their next semester in their home colleges." - Amlanjyoti
"There's a lot of uncertainty right now, which puts everything up in the air and adds extra stress in a time that is already really stressful." - Hailey
"My mental health has been suffering terribly. I can barely function anymore. I've lost my job and my family is upset."
"I’m paying for school myself, so it hits hard knowing it’s my own money going to waste." - Kim
Thank you to all our students for these submissions. We understand this is a difficult time for students and want to let you know that there is support available on campus and in the community.
For any student requiring Counselling Services, we encourage you to contact Good2Talk: 1-866-925-5454 or www.good2talk.ca. Good2Talk is a 24/7, free and confidential helpline for Ontario’s post-secondary students. For additional resources please visit the Strike Resource Page.
Please note that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this page belong solely to the author, and not to Sheridan Student Union, Sheridan College, the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual. Students have submitted their own opinions and experiences.
"As a first-year student, a mental health advocate, and a person who lives with generalized anxiety disorder, I feel it is my duty to speak up as colleges across Ontario fail to prioritize student mental health during the ongoing faculty strike." - Hailey