International Students Navigate a New Campus

The changes to college life during COVID-19 have been difficult for all students and their families, but it has put a particular strain on international students studying in the US. Not only are they far from home during a global pandemic, but they have also had to contend with unsettled visa situations exacerbated by politics.

"With so many uncertainties, we advised students to weigh carefully the pros and cons of leaving the US. My job is to make sure they have all the facts to make the best decision for them," said Associate Dean of Upperclass Students Khoa Khuong ’04, who is also the advisor to Bowdoin's international students. "And, while there are a lot of domestic students who face many challenges, there is a whole added layer of challenges—things like visas and time differences—for international students."

The thirty-four upperclass international students living on campus this fall all petitioned Bowdoin for this allowance. (Fifteen first-year international students are also on campus.) Some of these older students decided, after studying remotely last spring, that living in time zones eight to twelve hours ahead of Bowdoin's was challenging, or they worried about the status of their student visas, Khuong said. Others preferred to stay in the US to avoid traveling during a pandemic.

On the other hand, a good number of Bowdoin's upperclass international students—more than fifty—remain in their home country. One of the considerations for some of these students included looking at which nation—the US or their own—had COVID-19 more under control, Khuong said. The Trump administration's travel bans also influenced students' decisions.

Four international students—Esther Park ’23, Samara Nassor ’22, Nirhan Nurjadin ’21, and Mishal Kazmi ’21—spoke to us about their reasons for wanting to be at Bowdoin this fall and what it has been like. Park and Kazmi returned to Brunswick in late summer after spending several months at home, while Nassor and Nurjadin have remained here since the first days of the pandemic.

Choosing Brunswick:

Esther Park ’23, Dubai, United Arab Emirates: "In March [when Bowdoin closed its campus], I was lucky enough to go home to Dubai. But I noticed that last semester I was really struggling with keeping a steady schedule. My first class started at 4:00 p.m., and my last class ended at 1:00 a.m. Considering that this semester we were going to a graded system rather than pass/fail, and that sophomore year is an important one for deciding your major, I wanted a positive and less challenging academic experience. I thought I would be more successful being on campus."

Samara Nassor ’22, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: "There is a lot of uncertainty with regard to the US consulate [in Tanzania], and therefore it is safer to stay in the US for now."

Nirhan Nurjadin ’21, Jakarta, Indonesia: "The twelve-hour time difference would have made it hard. And, as a senior, it will be a lot more streamlined to find jobs if I’m in the US already. Plus, this summer, traveling didn’t seem like a great idea. And with all the uncertainty with students' legal status and visas, my parents and I thought it would be better for me to stay."

Mishal Kazmi ’21, Islamabad, Pakistan: "I wanted to be back like everyone else. And when the whole situation with the international students happened, everything was so uncertain. I didn’t know if I was going to be a Bowdoin student any more—it was very stressful." Also, at home, "I would have had to step up and do stuff around the house, and I don’t think I would have been in an environment where I could focus solely on my studies."

Returning to campus after being away:

Esther Park: "When I first got to step foot on campus, I felt, 'I am back where I am supposed to be!' It felt like I had lost my life when we all had to leave and go back home—my life as a college student that I had come to love in a semester and a half. When I got to come back and saw the polar bear statue, it came rushing back, I was so happy. But obviously it looks different. There's a lot of meals eaten alone or in my apartment, and you see buildings you used to have classes in and wish you could still do that."

Social life in a pandemic:

Esther Park: "I really enjoy the socializing now. It's a lot more intimate, personal, and meaningful—it is not about partying or who knows where all the parties are happening. ...You get to know the people who live around you, your neighbors, your floormates."

Mishal Kazmi: "It has been pretty quiet. All my friends are on campus, but we’re not meeting each other as much as we would have. We can get meals outside, and now they’re letting us into Thorne twice a week. Obviously it is very different, but we have learned to navigate the differences and figure it out."

Nirhan Nurjadin: "To be frank, we see our friends on campus—we’re not having lots of people over. We’re conscious that we’re in the middle of a pandemic. It is a privilege to be on campus, and I don’t want to be pushing my luck with that. My decisions affect a lot of other decisions."

Samara Nassor: "I went on socially-distanced walks with my close friends during the summer. I also did a lot of FaceTiming. Right now, we are more cautious, because we don’t want to pose a risk to anyone."

"A completely new experience":

Esther Park: "It has been a completely new Bowdoin experience. Normally we wouldn’t be allowed to take our food outside the dining hall and eat outside. Now we’ll sit on blankets six feet apart eating lunch, and when we look around, people are playing spike ball or sitting in big circles, enjoying how beautiful Maine is. That is a special thing we get to enjoy. So, in this specific aspect, we are not just making the best of a bad situation; this is a new and positive thing we wouldn’t have had otherwise."

Nirhan Nurjadin: "All things considered, this is not the ideal experience for everyone, but it's been pretty good, an enjoyable experience. I'm living in a Park Row apartment with five of my friends. I get to spend time with my friends in the apartment, and it's such a nice space that I don’t feel suffocated. I have my own room—I feel really happy about that. I have a bedroom to do classes in, and a living room to work in or socialize in. I would have preferred, though, to have senior year with all of my friends, but so many of them are all over the place."

Samara Nassor: "It is a very unusual semester. We are doing our level best as students, and we are trying to normalize the situation. I am happy that school is reopening next spring [to sophomores, juniors, and seniors] so that we can share this experience as Bowdoin students."