International students reflect on a lonely pandemic year | Higher Education | columbiamissourian.com

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Gray. Lower 28F. At 10 to 20 miles an hour, the wind is northwest.

Gray. Lower 28F. The speed is 10 to 20 miles per hour, and the speed is northwest.

Farida Ghanizada, a MU graduate student from Afghanistan, is studying at his home in Kabul. She started the first semester of the online Fulbright Scholarship Program from her home in Kabul.

John Bonilla spends most of his time in the office of the MU professional building. Bonilla said that in Bonilla's hometown of Colombia, residents are unwilling to buy the vaccine. The main things that prevented them from happening were misinformation about vaccines and mistrust in the pharmaceutical industry. When sharing information about the vaccine, Bonilla said: "I think the best way to eliminate misinformation is straightforward."

Political science textbooks leaned against each other on the shelves of John Bonilla's office in the District of Columbia on Thursday. Bonilla is a graduate student studying for a doctorate in political science. Bonilla, who was infected with COVID-19, said that he had been busy in quarantine while reading and continuing to study, and took a break in between due to fatigue.

John Bonilla, an international student from Colombia, received COVID-19 last semester. Bonilla has severe viral symptoms, including extreme fatigue, loss of smell and taste, and high fever. "It's hell," Bonilla said.

John Bonilla is doing his homework on his desk at Columbia University on Thursday. After recovering from COVID-19, Bonilla tried to return to normal plans. Bonilla said he did not know how he was exposed to the virus and followed CDC guidelines when he tested positive.

A letter from Marina Antonova's friend Polina Savochkina, sitting on a table in her apartment in the District of Columbia on Friday. Antonova often chats with family and friends over the phone to keep in touch. Savochkina sent this letter from Khabarovsk, Russia, Antonova's hometown.

On Friday, in the living room of Marina Antonova in Colombia, a Russian flag was hung on the TV. Antonova originally planned to return to Russia last summer, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she stayed in the United States

Marina Antonova sat on the sofa in Colombia's living room on Friday. Antonova received a master's degree in special education from MU and is currently studying for a doctorate.

*The peer group consists of two other Afghan students. An earlier version of this article missed the number of students. 

When John Bonilla, a doctoral student from South America and Colombia, had a fever, he thought it was because of the change of seasons. He was ill during the Thanksgiving break, so he was not worried.

Then his roommate began to complain of sore muscles. Soon, both of them passed the COVID-19 test.

positive.

"We didn't interact with many people, it was just that there was a certain friend that day and we were sick," Bonilla recalled. "And it's very challenging... if I have to choose a word."

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent transition to online learning is a challenge for students all over the world. But for international students living and studying abroad,

.

Liz McCune, deputy director of the MU News Bureau, said that the enrollment rate of international undergraduates in the fall of 2020 has dropped by 9% compared to the previous year.

The number is usually not finalized until the fourth week of the semester, but so far, 10 international undergraduates enrolled in the spring of 2021 have chosen to postpone, while the other 12 have decided to take classes online.

As for the graduate students who are about to graduate, about 30 have been postponed from spring to autumn 2021.

McCune said: "We are still receiving extension requests." He added that late applicants cannot obtain visas.

The epidemic has created insurmountable obstacles between students and their families on the other side of the world. Moreover, when students are sick, they have no family support-no comfort food, no first aid to the pharmacy.

"My mother is very worried about me because I can't do anything and she can't travel," said Bonilla, 34.

He did his best to keep in touch with his family and brief them on his health. Other than that, there is nothing to do in his apartment, so he tries to establish routines and keep busy. Over time, his symptoms eased, his senses of smell and taste were restored, and Bonilla was able to continue learning.

Nevertheless, this fatigue still persists, and he believes that some colleagues still remain vigilant.

He said: "I know someone has changed me." "Some students will say hello in a certain way, but I don't blame them."

After looking up the exact words in the Spanish-English dictionary to describe his feelings, he made an analogy with lice-people think this kind of lice is contagious, always exists and "never leaves your system completely."

He said: "There are still misinformation and knowledge about how to deal with (the virus)."

The lack of knowledge is known to Marina Antonova, a 27-year-old doctoral student from Russia. During the lockdown, she sought help from the MU Counseling Center, where, as part of a group of international students, she heard personal statements about xenophobia, hatred and hostility. She said that Asian students seemed to bear the brunt of abuse by the community.

Dr. Shraddha Niphadkar, a psychologist and liaison at MU International Center, directly participated in the group meeting to assist international students. She confirmed some hostile incidents against international students, especially incidents from Asian countries, but also expressed the national sentiment at the time.

Niphadkar recalled: “(students) heard what was happening across the country-there were a lot of reports about Asians being targeted, so even if they didn’t have to face it, it was not very comfortable because they knew what was happening.”

She said that because international students cannot go home during the break and feel stranded in Colombia, the isolation has led to an increase in depression and anxiety.

The consultant's words are correct for Antonova. At first, she actually enjoyed the comfort of taking classes from bed. But as time passed, isolation became more and more unbearable.

She said: "On a psychological level, it's really hard for me, just like I'm crazy."

"I have a good class right now, but I really want to go out and see the crazy Mizzou crowd," Antonova said. "At times like this, I really feel that this city is still alive."

Farida Ghanizada, a graduate student from Afghanistan, has not experienced life in the city, or the city itself. After a 1.5-year selection process for the Fulbright Scholarship Program, the 27-year-old Ganizada finally started online for the first semester from her home in Kabul, listening to pre-recorded lectures.

"I think this is the human interaction that I lack," Ganizada reflects. "What I miss most at the moment is that I cannot interact with professors, communities, and students."

She said that sitting in front of a laptop and doing work alone is not enough. "As graduate students, we need opportunities to interact with people, because this is how you develop and grow."

Ganizada also faces another challenge of balancing full-time work and study. Fortunately, her family supported her and allowed her to focus on school work instead of housework. Despite this, Ganizada found himself advancing with the times.

She said: "Imagine that in the difficult process, you have to keep up with the rest of the course and make sure to complete the course on time."

The 10.5 hour time difference between Kabul and Colombia is another complication that she cannot control. When she sends an email, her professor is likely to be sleeping.

Despite the setbacks, Ganizada does not regret the class rather than postponing them to the fall of 2021.

She said: "I have been waiting for this project for a year and a half, some of my friends-two years." "Some people completed their studies during that time, and we haven't even started."

The overwhelming feeling is uncertainty. For Antonova, the blockade meant that she could not return to Russia, and Bonilla faced and recovered from the virus, but still did not know the long-term consequences.

"As international students, we are far away from our family and isolated from the world," Bonilla said. "I don't want anyone to experience this situation far from home, because it is challenging, demanding, and makes you feel out of context."

Niphadkar said that loneliness may be the biggest impact of the pandemic.

She said: "Since the pandemic began, it has been more to stay away." "Isolated. When you are infected with the virus and are far from everyone you know, it is really lonely."

In order to control her mental health, Antonova walked a long way along the MKT trail and observed nature. She found deer and foxes, and saw how the seasons change and how trees become "jungles".

*For Ganizada, it is important for two other Afghan students to receive Fulbright scholarships in the same course at MU. They chat in groups, help each other solve problems, share resources and support words.

She said: "We have had a lot of exchanges with each other and they have always been very supportive." "If they are not there, my class will be under a lot of pressure. But I am fine...because we are a group, in this respect I will be better."

General Affairs and Public Health Correspondent, Spring 2021. Learn magazine writing. Please contact me at matchavarianii@mail.missouri.edu, or contact me at 882.5700 in the press room.

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I am a public safety and health editor in Missouri and a professor at the School of Journalism. I have extensive experience in directing survey projects. Call me (573) 882-1792 to provide story tips, ideas or complaints.

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