Students are our world. And we need to change their world for the better.

2020 was exceptionally difficult for all of us but students remain under compounding pressure all over the globe. While COVID-19 has put additional strain on undergrads, students were already dealing with unique challenges that caused their pathways to success through the higher education system to be riddled with many flaws.  

Student debt continues to soar to record amounts, workplaces are still experiencing skills gaps when attempting to hire fresh graduates, and the growing wealth disparity between the rich and poor are issues that were all weighing on the minds of students way before the pandemic. In post-covid world, these issues must be addressed now more than ever. And how are we supposed to tackle these challenges if policymakers, educators, and public figures don’t know that they exist?  

Well, we aren’t supposed to. You can't fight what you can't see. That’s why Chegg.org, the not-for-profit, research, and advocacy arm of Chegg, is dedicated to bringing these issues to light.  

Today, Chegg.org published the Global Student Survey - the most comprehensive, up-to-date research report that outlines some of the biggest problems students face from 21 countries. Some of the things that personally stood out to me from the report were that: 

• Over half of the world’s students say they would prefer their university course to be shorter, if it was also cheaper. 
• 56% of students say their mental health has suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• In 2020, 22% of students around the world struggled to afford food. 
• 54% of students say their main motivation for studying is to broaden their job prospects, increase their earning potential, or to fulfill the requirements for a specific career. 
• Around two-thirds of students across the countries surveyed say they would like their university to offer the choice of more online learning if it means paying lower tuition fees. 

Many of these statistics were enlightened as much as they were disheartening because it means that we are failing our students. And this is not ok. We can no longer sit by and let our world’s youth, some of the best and brightest, suffer alone as they pursue a path to greatness. At Chegg, we’ve known this for years, but this report fully recognizes students’ need for more options, more affordability, and more online learning. Now, it is up to us to deliver. 

We need to be fully honest with ourselves. These students today are preparing to become the leaders of tomorrow, and with every ounce of support they receive, our collective communities inch towards a powerful, brighter future. If we want the world to succeed, we must support the students of this world. Then, and only then, can we truly say that we’ve made an impactful difference.