Online Reporter
Latwell Nyangu
THE key insight is that love, in its many forms, is a powerful protective factor.
Ultimately, the blessing of a loved student is both simple and amazing. As I always say, university is often imagined as a rite of passage, an arena where young minds encounter new ideas, test identities, and cultivate the habits that will shape adult lives.
And beneath these ideals of lecture lie a simple truth frequently overlooked, the quality of a student’s emotional nourishment matters as much as the quality of instruction.
This week, I am in the mood for love.
I hope you were shown some love during the Valentine’s Day on Saturday.
Even in 2033, I will still be writing what I see and many times I have seen, students suffering at the mercy of lack of love and appreciation.
A loved student, one who receives consistent care, encouragement, and practical support from family or guardians, is blessed in ways that ripple through academic performance, mental health, and moral development. Conversely, students deprived of love, those who endure neglect, abuse, or chronic resource insecurity, often falter academically and socially, sometimes turning towards mischief as a maladaptive response.
Examining the role of love in college and university life illuminates why it is a decisive factor in educational success and human flourishing.
Love as a foundation for academic engagement is not merely sentimental. It creates the psychological safety required for risk-taking, the willingness to ask questions, seek help, and persist through failure.
In the university context where expectations escalate, students must be able to overcome.
I have noticed some students who are not loved end up going astray and even decide on other options which end up backfiring.
A loved student enters the university environment with a cushion of confidence.
They internalise messages that they are valued irrespective of grades, so setbacks become opportunities for growth rather than existential threats.
The mindset of being loved encourages students to be active. The consistency of emotional support sustains motivation across semesters for students.
Practical resources are another dimension of the blessing. Love often translates into tangible support including paying tuition, providing food, shelters emotional support. A student who does not have to choose daily between studying and securing part-time work for survival can invest more wholeheartedly in learning. Conversely, many college students from under-resourced homes shoulder more responsibilities, going out of their way.
From my observations, most students lack love and support, and it usually undermines their performance, attendance, and the capacity to participate fully in campus opportunities.
Emotional abuse and neglect inflict deeper wounds. Students who grow up in environments characterised by harsh criticism, conditional affection, or indifference carry into college a fragile sense of self. When faced with the normal trials of academic life, such as poor grades, social rejection, or conflict, they may interpret setbacks as confirmation of worthlessness.
This usually precipitates anxiety, depression, and avoidance behaviours, each deleterious to learning.
Some students, seeking belonging or distraction, gravitate towards pressure that encourages risky behaviour, including substance abuse and petty criminality. From my understanding, such actions are due to a lack of parental warmth.
On the other hand, students who receive steady emotional validation are more likely to cultivate healthy coping mechanisms.
The social ecology of college amplifies these differences. Campuses are microcosms of society where fellow students influence behaviour strongly.
A loved student, with family backing and encouraged independence, tends to select friends and activities aligned with long-term goals.
Guardians who model trust and responsibility allow students to experiment while maintaining boundaries, which fosters maturity.
Importantly, love does not equate to indulgence.
A loving guardian and parent provides both support and structure, expectations balanced with empathy. This combination helps students develop self-regulation and time management.
Students who have experienced consistent boundaries understand accountability, they learn to meet deadlines, respect commitments, and seek help proactively. Where love is absent, boundaries are often inconsistent or punitive, undermining the development of these executive functions.
The result is a pattern of inconsistency in academic habits, including missed deadlines and last-minute scrambling, that yields mediocre outcomes despite potential.
The ripple effects of being a loved student extend into identity formation and moral development.
In the crucible of higher education, students ask profound questions like who am I? What do I value?
Loved students, secure in their relationships, can explore these questions without existential panic.
They are more likely to take ethical stands, engage in community service, and pursue vocations aligned with their values. In contrast, students who have been marginalised emotionally may prioritise survival or social status over integrity, making choices incongruent with their deeper selves.
Misconduct, such as academic dishonesty, substance abuse, or affiliation with criminal networks, can become instruments of coping or assertion, further eroding academic and moral trajectories.
This is not to imply that love guarantees success nor that unloved students are irredeemably lost.
Colleges that offer robust support services, such as mental health counselling, emergency financial aid, and mentoring programmes, mitigate the harms of early neglect and foster recovery.
Love nurtures the motivation, provides the resources, and fosters the psychological stability required for intellectual flourishing.
The truth be told, love steers students towards constructive social networks and away from destructive coping mechanisms that manifest as mischief.
For educators, parents, and policymakers committed to maximising the promise of higher education, the lesson is clear, investing in the emotional and material well-being of students is not optional, it is foundational.
When colleges and guardians together ensure that students feel valued, supported, and equipped, the blessings compound, grades improve, potential is realised, and the next generation grows not only in knowledge but in character.
Love your college children and you will reap a blessing. Until we meet for a toast
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