UCC students are being advised by their student union to not sign-off on long term leases until they find out how many hours they will spend on campus.
Welfare officer of the UCCSU, Jamie Fraser, has called on university officials and landlords to show flexibility at this "tumultuous time".
In a statement, Fraser remarked on the stress and pressure students are under to commit to leases despite being unsure of their on-campus requirements.
"As your welfare officer, I do not feel comfortable advising you, the students, to commit to long-term lease agreements, as I know a lot of you have been pressured to so, due to the unpredictability of the near future, as well as the financial burden that many suffer in these times.
"I understand how frustrated you will inevitably be at being pressured to pay an extraordinary amount of rent if you only have two hours on campus a week.
"Therefore, I once again call upon the various Heads of Colleges to circulate detailed timetables with the exact amount of contact hours specified in order to ease this stress amongst students."
UCC aims to bring classes and modules to students in a 'blended fashion', which means that campus hours may be limited, with the majority of classes taking place online.
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Recreational time on the campus will be greatly reduced, or in some cases, abolished.
The UCCSU are also acutely aware that these times of tumult will greatly impact students not only academically, but also mentally and financially. In his statement, Fraser also mentioned that the union are aiming to move their counselling services online for students that need help.
"Students are dealing with a high level of stress in this climate which is having a direct impact on not just their student ‘experience but their mental health."
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