Students dealing with pandemic
It’s been awhile since I last posted an article about my life in Canada.
Just to refresh your memory, it was about Christmas in Cape Breton and the crazy, good time at polar dip 2020.
I had been waiting for the winter experience since last summer when I landed here in Cape Breton.
I had few things jotted down on my to-do list for the Cape Breton winter and was able to fulfil many — snowshoeing, sledding at Ashby corner, making snow angels, sledding and skiing at Ben Eoin and ice skating in the Pier. All these fun activities were planted in my head like a bug by my local mentor Kim Sheppard, for which I am thankful.
To be honest before trying these adventurous pastimes I was nervous of getting injured but the adrenaline of trying something new overpowered the nervousness. However, I will never forget all the falls and body aches that came with these adventures.
In doing all this activities, I felt my life was getting synced to the tune of Cape Breton. I enjoyed every bit and so did many other international students as social media was filled with captions of “winter adventures” and snapshots of their ventures.
Winter fun came to a quick end though once a global pandemic hit and changed all our lives.
To be honest most of us weren’t even concerned about COVID-19 until midmarch but then things began changing drastically. As most of the international students are from India and China, we were concerned about our families back home. Lockdown had already been announced and put in place in India at the start of March and in China it was very early in January.
Life here in Canada also changed for us — no more outings, no more social gatherings, no more hanging out with friends to experience new adventures, no more inclass studies as our education turned to online sessions.
I found the online exams difficult as it seemed very unconventional, but under the present situation, it was the best way.
As an international student I felt more affected because here I am in a country far from home with no family and nobody to look after me if things got bad, this was a major concern.
I also had to make decisions about managing my finances and of course the constant idea that you could become infected with COVID-19.
All the uncertainties affect one's mental state and makes it difficult to concentrate on studies. Also there is the loneliness aspect of selfisolating in your own home with nothing much to do other than watch Netflix or other streaming platforms.
Most of the international students take the bus to run errands and pick up essentials, however due to this pandemic, the bus system has had to limit the number of patrons, making wait times much longer. Public transit being shut down is a huge worry to international students.
Another concern for international students is jobs. Summer break is the time when most of the students find work to support their tuition fees for the next semester and also save money for basic expenses.
If they do not obtain employment, they will need to be dependent on their family back home to provide for their expenses, which would be more difficult because of the pandemic.
The pandemic not only makes it hard to find summer employment but many students have been laid off and did not qualify for the government assistance. Most students have stayed in Canada because travelling is limited or the situation at home is worse.
Cape Breton University has opened a Student Relief Fund. Not every student will be eligible but at least a few who are in dire need will benefit from this money and I am thankful for such a gesture from the Canadian government and the university.
Also the convocation ceremony for the students graduating this year will be a virtual session, something new but it is a way to keep everyone safe under these trying times of the COVID19 pandemic.
Sweet gestures from the local community do not go unnoticed. Loaves and Fishes is still serving food while maintaining social distancing and the House of Healing food bank in Dominion is also providing food. Some students have met friends in the community or have very caring neighbours who check in and see if they need anything.
Truly this pandemic has made some changes in our day to day life, especially with no family by our side. If you see an international student say hello or give a friendly smile and nod, it will make their day.
COVID-19 has changed all of our lives but as the saying goes “This too shall pass.”
I cannot wait for this pandemic to end so that I can continue my Cape Breton adventures. Remember hope will keep us strong and my hope is that everyone reading continues to remain healthy. Stay home and stay safe.
Abey Abraham is an international student at Cape Breton University. Feedback is welcome and if you are curious about his culture and traditions, he would be happy to answer your questions. He can be contacted at india2capebreton@gmail.com.