Students Studying | Photo by Soham Parkih | The Wright State Guardian
It has been almost a year since international students decided either to take classes online from their home country or stay in the U.S. during the pandemic. There are different pros and cons of each of these options, considering all things that international students are trying to manage on a day-to-day basis.
Academic integrity
Deciding to study abroad is a life-changing decision due to gaining a new learning experience, making international connections and discovering college culture.
Engagement in classes and academic achievements is important for all college students, but it’s twice as hard for a new international student to stay active when things become not quite understandable.
Academics play an important part in students’ life and campus community, clubs, activities are also valuable reasons for being in college. Now all of these opportunities are not fully available for students.
Building connections
Once an international student comes to the U.S., in most cases, it is essential to make connections with others during social events in order to not feel lonely in an unknown country. However, social networking started to be only accessible online.
WSU UCIE constantly tries to organize events like movie nights, convo clubs where students can practice their English skills and virtual open houses. All of these activities can help international students feel a sense of belonging in their university community during remote learning.
Time differences
Those who decided to take their online classes at home abroad may have time zone differences with the U.S. university. It can become a problem to attend a live lecture with a professor and be involved in virtual in-class assignments with groupmates. There is no other option except for rewatching the recorded version of the lecture and losing an opportunity of asking professors questions in real-time.
Pros
One pro to online learning as an international student is there’s a chance to decrease living costs. Some prefer to take advantage of online studies and try living in other states with lower rent rates or spend time being with U.S. family members or friends.
Despite the complications that may appear for both domestic and international students, it is important to stay connected to your peers as much as possible and make the most out of your college experience. Interacting with professors and classmates can help to stay positive and productive even if it seems difficult.
