76 Locked Down in a New Land: My COVID-19 Experience as an International Student

During Covid, I was living in Oakville with my great aunt, great uncle, and their son, while my parents remained in Hong Kong. At the time, I was 16 years old and in Grade 11. As an international student from Hong Kong, I had only just arrived in Canada in January 2020, shortly before the pandemic reached the country. Before coming to Canada, I had never met my great aunt, great uncle, and their son – in person or virtually – so adjusting to a new household was an added challenge. However, I was incredibly fortunate to find their home filled with warmth and kindness.

I began attending high school in Oakville for the second semester of Grade 11, experiencing in-person classes until March. However, after March break, Ontario entered a full lockdown, and I never attended in-person schooling again for the remainder of high school.   

Adjusting to a new school and country in Grade 11 was already challenging, but the Covid lockdown made it even harder to form new friendships. Given that I was new, I had low expectations of making new friends, but the lockdown reinforced my isolation. I do not recall exactly how long the lockdown lasted, but I remember not leaving the house for at least 100 days. My great aunt even joked that my room was like a prison cell and that I was probably counting the days by drawing lines on the wall. 

Compared to the others, my daily life did not change significantly. I had no routine social spots, or grocery stores I regularly visited; nor did I have close friends in Canada to meet up with. Even without the lockdown, my primary means of social connection remained online with my friends in Hong Kong. In that sense, I felt I was less affected than others, as I had few expectations for social interactions in Canada before the pandemic began.   

I honestly enjoyed virtual schooling because I am not a morning person. It allowed me to wake up at 8 a.m. instead of 6 a.m., giving me more flexibility to manage my time. In some ways, it also helped prepare me for university, where students have greater autonomy. While attendance was still compulsory, many students were virtually present but not mentally engaged. This experience taught me to be more punctual and disciplined with my time. However, I recognize that many of my peers struggled with the mental toll of staying indoors constantly. Some people became less accustomed to in-person interactions, but for me, the lack of social opportunities during Covid only strengthened my desire to be more extroverted in university. In my first year, I actively put myself out there and made an effort to meet new people.   

One challenge I faced during the lockdown was adapting to life in Canada. Because I had not been able to explore my surroundings early on, I did not visit a grocery store by myself until my first year of university. However, the friends I made in university were incredibly welcoming and helped me navigate life in Canada, showing me different places and giving me a “crash course” on living here.   

There were two major events that I felt I missed out on due to Covid. Perhaps influenced by watching too many Netflix series about American high schools, I had always wanted to attend prom. I imagined dressing up, dancing, and socializing, but that never happened because of the pandemic. Similarly, my graduation was held online, and I received my diploma through a drive-through ceremony, which felt underwhelming. However, I understood that this was the best the school could offer at the time. Another event I partially missed out on was university Welcoming Week. While my year, the Class of 2025, was luckier than the previous one – since we were allowed to live in residence with precautions – our Welcoming Week was still limited compared to later years. My first year in residence was an incredible experience that shaped my university life, but seeing how much more extensive the Welcoming Week was for later classes made me realize how much we had missed. Despite this, I remained grateful for the experience and the transition back to in-person and hybrid learning. The pandemic forced people to adapt quickly, and the shift toward online accessibility has had lasting benefits. It is now hard to imagine a time when online class options were unavailable, especially for students who frequently get sick but do not want to miss lectures. 

One of the most significant themes during Covid was blame. Since the virus originated in Wuhan, China, there was widespread scapegoating of Chinese people. I often heard hateful comments blaming the Chinese for the pandemic, with people arguing that the Canadian government should have restricted immigrations even before Covid existed. Some even perpetuated racist stereotypes about Chinese people eating exotic animals, which they claimed caused the virus. While I did not experience direct racism, I was asked – sometimes jokingly – if I had eaten exotic animals. The online scapegoating was particularly alarming and sometimes made me hesitant to go outside. Covid highlighted how fear can quickly turn into blame, creating unnecessary divisions between people during an already challenging time.   

Looking back, Covid shaped my transition to life in Canada in unexpected ways. While it delayed my ability to adapt, it also fueled my determination to be more outgoing and make the most of my university experience. Though I missed some key life events, I also learnt resilience and adaptability, which have continued to influence me in meaningful ways.