International students share pandemic experiences

Rory JohnsonStaff Writer Over the last year of quarantine, many international students had to decide if they would stay in Troy or return to their home countries due to the pandemic. Many international students who returned home had problems with time differences between Troy and their home countries when it came to assignment deadlines. “The hardest part to me was staying up until midnight to attend my classes,” said Pedro da Silva, a senior music industry major from Lisbon, Portugal. “Luckily, some professors were lenient with this since classes could be recorded and would give me extensions on my assignments.” One of the few added benefits of traveling home for the international students was being surrounded by family during a pandemic, instead of being on their own during uncertain times. There were also international students who decided to stay on campus during quarantine instead of going back home. The inconveniences the students had on campus were different from those who went back home. Dining hall hours were restricted and other food establishments on campus were closed for a time. ,, “I was lucky enough to have a kitchen in my dorm, so I could order food online to cook for my convenience,” said Jiaqin Guo, a senior graphic design major from Changzhou, China. “My friends couldn’t always rely on online orders and for the first month or so the bus had been canceled.” Those without cars found it sometimes hard to get supplies. However, the transportation shuttles did open back up on weekends to help students get to Walmart. Some international students who live off campus reported they had an easier time adjusting since they already didn’t rely on campus food or transportation. They said a lot of their masks and other supplies came from parents. International students who stayed in Troy commented on how well Troy University dealt with the problem ha and said the university’s background in online school helped. “The transition to online classes was challenging, but the teachers tried their best to get us through it,” Biwaksha Shrestha, a junior accounting major from Kathmandu, Nepal, said. “It was the best thing we could do, and I was grateful we could complete the courses even during a pandemic.”