On the anti-epidemic memorial wall on the Thames River in London, I saw someone writing Li Wenliang, and tears came out. @Zhang no no
When Japan issued a lockdown decree on November 29, 2021, @Xiaozhang, who studied in Japan as an undergraduate, was busy preparing to enter Japan to continue her senior year, but until now, she has remained in China waiting for the notice of allowing international students to enter. She has been in the country for 150 days.
In the past month, the Netherlands has become the country with the strictest lockdown in Europe, and "Cloud Toast" has become a new way of life for the doctoral group to settle boredom in the Doctoral Group studying in the Netherlands. "We see lockdown as a good time to focus on learning something new and discovering more possibilities online."
The pandemic has been going on for two years, and everyone's work and life are at risk of being interrupted at any time. This is especially true of the international student population. Under the repeated fluctuations of the epidemic, we talked to 6 international students, what "heart" impact has been brought about by multiple rounds of epidemics? And what other ways they can make their lives better.
"Japan is not one
Countries that can withstand the pandemic"
@ Xiao Zhang
Japan (currently in Japan), undergraduate study
Before the epidemic, I considered changing countries and returning to china to work, mainly because Japanese society was already a bit breathless.
After the epidemic, many long-established shopping malls and shops in Japan, young fashion stores and ancient shops, have closed their stores one after another. Seeing their clerk bow ritually, the door slowly pulled down, and finally closing the store, sad and uneasy at the same time: if the economy is not working, we foreigners will be the first to be abandoned.
Grandma at a Japanese restaurant cooks food wearing goggles.
There are those who have to stay in Japan and are depressed, and there are also those who change countries or return to China after the epidemic. Now I want to stay in Japan almost because of boyfriends or girlfriends, and even the Chinese and overseas Chinese who are permanently resident and Japanese have paid more attention to the country, compared with before the epidemic, everyone seems to be more optimistic about the development prospects of the country.
"Come out without regret"
@Lexie
UK, master's degree
The epidemic made me hesitate whether to go abroad, I was very intimidated before I came, but after coming, I was not so afraid. At present, most people in the UK are not afraid of the virus, pay attention and wear a mask.
Before Christmas, many people planned to go to London, and many international students cancelled their trips because of Omicron, but I went anyway, but I didn't dare to eat out the whole time.
New Year's Eve. @Lexie
This semester, 70% of our classes are offline. Omicron attended classes on campus before the outbreak in the UK, a week before Christmas break, because too many people were infected and eventually switched to online classes. Now our state is that we are infected and no one cares, and we don't know who is infected anyway. The students here are reluctant to take online classes, and I heard two local students mention that one of the girls said that she and her classmates did not like online classes very much because they would not pay attention, and the other boy was a science student and he needed to go to the laboratory.
Our biggest adjustment now is because of Omicron's influence, and at least the first two weeks of the next semester will be adjusted to online classes.
About looking for a job after returning home, because I went abroad after going through a job, I will consider changing careers later. This year, whether it is to experience life or serious study, I will not regret it when I come out.
"Covid-19 can't disappear overnight,
Wait to get back to normal."
@Serendipia
Spain, master's degree
I applied to study abroad after accepting the epidemic situation, so I had psychological expectations.
The study plan has not been greatly affected, we have more than 5 people diagnosed in a class to take online classes, close contacts can also go to class normally if they have been vaccinated, and if they are diagnosed, they can isolate themselves at home for a week.
Schematic of a mask posted on the school door.
There are no restrictions on all aspects of life, and if you have a vaccine passport, you can basically pass. But it is more troublesome to get a vaccine passport, I am about to get a second dose of Modena, this holiday did not go out, planning to go out in Holy Week. The landlord who lives with me has the same mentality as I do, after all, life will go on. Of course, it is also necessary to consider national conditions, population density and medical conditions.
I think the virus can only coexist with humans, and it is impossible to disappear overnight, so the mentality is relatively flat, and when it is obtained, it will be treated and wait for it to return to normal. But this does not mean that there is no need to pay attention to protection, if not protected, it is irresponsible to yourself and others.
Queue up for vaccinations.
"After the pandemic,
Freelance appealed to me even more."
@Zhang no no
The Netherlands, PhD candidate
The Netherlands, now the country with the tightest lockdown in Europe, closed non-essential shops, bars, gyms, hairdressers and other public places starting last month, and was scheduled to be unblocked until January 14, but it seems unlikely at this time.
The pandemic has made me discover more possibilities for working online. Freelancing attracted me more, and I became more reluctant to work for someone.
The anti-epidemic memorial wall on the banks of the River Thames in London. "He has not been forgotten"
I can accept the impact of social interaction, but I am still looking forward to chatting with my classmates and teachers face-to-face in the future.
Lockdown is also an opportunity for some people – cutting out unnecessary social interactions, having a chunk of time to focus on yourself, it's a good time to learn something new, someone finally learns a language, and I develop a fitness habit. When you feel autistic, you can even talk to your friends, watch movies and chat online, or study by yourself. The PhD team also sent everyone wine, biscuits and small snacks, and we raised glasses together.
On the day of Prince Philip's death, people wore masks to accompany him on his last journey outside Windsor Castle.
The virus did not affect the mood of the dogs on the train.
The epidemic did not make me feel dazed, because I have been following the steps and have not delayed the application for the University. Friends looking for jobs around have been affected, and even Some British people have played games at home for a year.
"The social changes brought about by the pandemic
Far greater than the impact on health."
@Cosma
Returning to China for quarantine, he graduated with a master's degree in the United Kingdom
My graduate studies were extended from the start of September to January of the following year. Looking back now, I regret that there is no gap, half a year online class + half a year in foreign online classes, I feel that I should stay outside for a year and then come back, although it is an online class, but the independence of life and communication may allow that year to get more exercise and experience.
The pandemic has made me realize the distance between people and the importance of friends and family. Wearing masks also seems to reduce the trust between people, so that everyone has to guard against each other.
This was especially evident when I was about to return home. I was afraid that I would be found positive for the transfer and be detained and deported to the UK, so that all the pre-order efforts would be lost. So I cut off almost all social interactions half a month before I returned home, and also advised my friends to wear masks to meet.
The back was taken by other people, before returning to China on the second trip to Xiamen.
I remember my good friend Toon came to say goodbye to me, we separated at the intersection, I watched her walk away and then turn back, standing across the road to take off her mask and say bye and I love you, at that moment I deeply realized that the changes brought by the epidemic to our social life may be far greater than the impact on health. On the one hand, the epidemic and masks have greatly reduced the intimate expression of physical contact. On the other hand, with the new crown, the body has a short period of problems, but the estrangement of social circles and social discussion are big.
I didn't have much planning for employment, so there wasn't much difference before and after the pandemic. I will find a job more peacefully, do not expect that I must go to a large company, in the autumn recruitment process to narrow the scope of my job search little by little, in the process of effective delivery also save their energy.
It's harder to get a job under the pandemic, and sometimes I even feel like I can get a job (...). hmm I'm a bit humbled ha). The choice of cities has changed before and after the pandemic. I used to think that a ticket and a ticket could travel back and forth between my work city and my hometown, but this was a bit surreal in the context of the epidemic. Before the epidemic, I thought I would stay in the big city, but now I feel that it is good to go back to my hometown province, close to home (but it seems that I will go to the big city first).
"I'm sick of COVID-19,
I also see some people and some things."
@Wendy
USA, master's degree
The pandemic has delayed my graduate program from August 2020 to August 2021. After a year of vaccine blessing, the whole person is not so scared, but still nervous. After arriving in the United States, I found that everyone's attitude was very different from that in China, and at the beginning it would be disinfected and the like, and gradually "lay flat".
One of the more famous noodle places in New York also basically wears masks indoors.
In the financial district world trade center, there will supposedly be more people but not a single person.
For a while later, I was more excited and agitated than scared, anxious, worried. Now that campus life can be restarted, I began to meet a lot of excellent people and dig deeper in my own field of interest, and I was more excited at that time.
Like Americans, I treat COVID-19 like a common cold. I studied journalism, went out to interview and socialize as usual, just put on a mask, and the rest of my daily life was not hindered.
Skating on Christmas Eve, everyone is quite free, and most people outside do not wear masks.
A store that sells jewelry
But after Omicron entered the United States, everything changed again. On Christmas Eve, I had an itchy throat, a little low-grade fever, a headache, and a positive nucleic acid test result. Then I started ten days of quarantine, during which a lot of chilling things happened, such as being kicked out of the house by my roommate, not being able to isolate where I lived, asking a friend to borrow a house, and finally finding a hotel by myself, and experiencing a lot of these things.
All the experiences have made me feel even more that the epidemic has hit people psychologically more than physically. Infection with Omicron after vaccination is mild, but it is enough to see through some people, see through some things, I understand that people are seeking benefits and avoiding harm, but they still feel very chilling.
There has also been a great change in the concept of employment. I originally regarded this experience as very important, and my idea was that I must stay in the United States for a year to work, and after returning home, this experience can provide me with a better opportunity or platform to find a better job at home.
I'm still very strong about studying and finding a job, but I won't take this as a priority in my life anymore. Now I want to be able to return to China and find a job, no matter how high or low the starting point, small companies can do, and other things are not so important.
I would like to go back to a place closer to my parents, a place that makes me feel at ease, safe, more warm and warm, as for what kind of job I can find, I think it is good to try my best, and if there are any difficulties in the future, I can slowly overcome it.
In a foreign country, there are no relatives and good friends around to give the most direct encouragement and help, and the whole person is in a relatively poor mental state and continuous panic.
Left: A corner of Wendy's room.
Right: At nine o'clock in the morning of January 2, cityMD just opened its doors, which is a queue for a free nucleic acid test place, which has been lined up for more than half an hour.
After listening to their stories, you can find:
Social networks, especially those powered by technology, are critical for international students to complete their studies and pursue mental health during the pandemic, as they compensate for the geographical distance between overseas countries and China, as well as the social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, when you're lonely, find someone to talk to.
In addition to the difficulties and changes in mood shown in the above-mentioned student experiences, there are many confusions and confusions that have not been declared, some international students do not even know their own situation, and some people hesitate whether they should go abroad.
Hopefully, their sharing will inspire these friends.
*Emily, an international student, also contributed to this article
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Do you have a story of studying abroad during the pandemic?