Being an International Student During a Pandemic

Denitsa Raichkova/Contributing Writer

Being an international student at FIU is being proud of attending a prestigious American institution, while also feeling homesick. Chasing the American Dream, while trying to preserve your national identity. Making new friends, while being mindful of the time difference so you can text your friends back home before they go to sleep. It’s meeting assignment deadlines while balancing immigrational requirements. Being an international student at FIU is a wonderful mixture of everchanging emotions, exciting new horizons and ordinary daily tasks. 

A bit of context. I came to the United States from the Eastern European country of Bulgaria in Fall 2019. Three semesters and an associate’s degree later, I transferred from Miami Dade College to FIU. I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in International Relations with a minor in Political Science. As a 20-year-old junior, I had numerous expectations about college life that were shattered in a million pieces by the virus.

My first semester at FIU is unusual. Attending a university during a global pandemic was going to be different. In retrospect, I knew that; however, nothing prepared me for the deafening silence that followed. Since the transfer student orientation was virtual, I did not get to visit the campus until the first day of classes. At least the parking garages were empty; one must look at the positives.

 The campus was a ghost town. I was greeted by a few cats, dozens of lizards, and the gorgeous Miami palm trees. A small number of faculty members and students could be seen walking around. As I was exploring the never-ending campus, I could not help but wonder what the atmosphere was like before. Before the “one person limit” stickers, before the shutdown cafes, before the social distancing. In the following weeks, I would spend time meeting unique campus spots, instead of people. Romantic wooden bridges, perfect-for-reading park benches, and forest canopies in the shade under the palm trees. The flora and fauna of the MMC campus are stunning! 

Everyone suffered during the pandemic, but foreign students truly got the short end of the stick. Since March 2020, international students have been stranded in the US, unable to go home, and forced to deal with non-stop changing requirements. If the travel restrictions did not get you, the immigration ones would (and vice versa). Feeling anxious is the predominant emotion. International students have been facing uncertainties about graduation statuses, employment opportunities and border closures. The horror stories did not make it to the mainstream news, but foreign students went through a lot.

 I would wholeheartedly encourage all universities to dedicate attention to the challenges faced by their students on temporary visas. As a foreign student, who is alone in the United States, it is disappointing to see all social activities canceled and all meeting spots closed.  International students do not have enough opportunities to meet one another. An online event or a group chat would be useful…

I spent the worst months of the COVID-19 pandemic at MDC. New year, new university, new luck. Recently, the situation has begun to improve. Things are slowly but surely going back to normal. The campus is being successfully repopulated and every day I observe more students on the campus grounds.

Safety guidelines are implemented and respected by the FIU community. Social networking and making new friends are still a challenge; however, with the distribution of vaccines, social interaction should improve. To add, people are still cautious in their social endeavors and tend to avoid one another. Frankly, the only ones happy to pass by you on the sidewalk, next to the lake in front of the Green Library, are the family of geese and the enormous iguana living there. Or at least it feels that way. 

Being an international student at FIU is a dream come true. The professors are truly inspirational, and the classes prepare you for the workplace. The instructors in the field of international relations and political science are extremely professional and have impressive career backgrounds. The academic quality of the university is evident from the first semester. 

I cannot help but feel like I am missing out on the whole “American university life” experience. The sororities, the sports, the parties. All of it seems like a mirage from the past. I have hope that by the time I graduate, life will go back to normal, and I will submerge myself into college life. Until then, I shall focus on my grades and introverted hobbies.

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash