73 Living Through the Pandemic: An International Student’s Perspective

When the COVID-19 pandemic first made global headlines in late 2019, I was an international student from China who had recently moved to Canada in August 2019, just a few months before the virus disrupted the world. At that time, I was 15 years old and a Grade 10 student in a high school in Saskatchewan. I lived in the school dormitory, far from my family in China, and was just beginning to adjust to my new life when the pandemic changed everything.

Initially, COVID-19 felt like a distant issue, however, as the virus spread rapidly, it soon became a global crisis. One day, while I was asking my chemistry teacher a question, a sudden announcement called all teachers to an emergency meeting. Shortly after, the school declared a full lockdown. The decision was made in response to a sharp rise in infections, and from that moment onward, COVID-19 restrictions were enforced —— and the school remained locked down on and off until 2021.   

The lockdown significantly altered daily life. Boarding students like me could only leave the dormitory to buy essential items for a maximum of two hours every two weeks, and only on weekends. Social interactions became extremely limited, and the once lively cafeteria transformed into a distanced and silent space. Tables were placed at least two meters apart, and students who exhibited COVID-19 symptoms were immediately isolated in separate rooms. They were not allowed to leave, and their meals were delivered to their doors. The isolation was strict and unsettling—almost like being in a prison. I experienced this firsthand, having been quarantined twice, each time for two weeks. 

As summer approached, another challenge emerged. Returning to China was impossible due to travel restrictions, and my school did not provide summer accommodation. As a result, I had to stay in a university dormitory, where my routine became extremely isolated. I only left my room twice a day to pick up food while wearing a mask, and aside from that, I rarely interacted with anyone in person. The loneliness was overwhelming, but it was not the only difficulty I faced during the pandemic. 

One of the most difficult aspects of the pandemic for me was the psychological stress of discrimination. Although my hometown was far from Wuhan, some people still assumed I was a potential COVID-19 carrier simply because I was Chinese. Their fear of the virus seemed to be projected onto me, reinforcing harmful stereotypes. 

I also encountered hostility towards mask-wearing. While I wore a mask to protect myself and others, many people resisted wearing them. One of the most frightening experiences I had occurred in the winter of 2021, when my mother visited me in Canada. We went for a walk in a park, both wearing masks as a precaution. Suddenly, a man began following us. He seemed upset by the fact that we were wearing masks and confronted us, demanding to know why we had them on. To avoid conflict, I told him that masks helped keep us warm in the cold. Though he accepted my answer, he continued to follow us, making me feel incredibly unsafe. It was moments like these that made me realize how fear and misinformation could lead to hostility. 

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, one benefit for me was virtual schooling. I have always found public speaking difficult, so being able to communicate through a computer screen helped reduce my anxiety. Without the pressure of speaking in front of large groups, I was able to focus better in class and participate more comfortably. 

However, while online learning had advantages for students like me, it also had significant drawbacks. Without a teacher physically present in the classroom, distractions became much harder to resist. Many students struggled to stay engaged, and some even fell asleep during lessons. The structure and discipline of traditional learning were missing, making it easier for students to fall behind. A lasting change I noticed was that students became more reliant on recorded lectures. Before the pandemic, it was uncommon for teachers to record their lessons, but afterward, recorded classes became a standard resource. While this made studying more flexible, it also altered students’ attitudes toward attendance. This shift in learning habits demonstrated how the pandemic reshaped education, for better or worse. 

Personally, the pandemic did not significantly impact my mental health, as I already preferred staying indoors. However, I saw how deeply it affected many of my peers. The prolonged isolation, combined with uncertainty about the future, took a heavy toll on students’ well-being. Some of my classmates who were once outgoing became withdrawn, while others struggled with motivation even after schools reopened. Depression and anxiety became common, and the lack of social interaction only made matters worse. 

A hundred years from now, when scholars study the COVID-19 pandemic, they should recognize that it was not just a health crisis but also a social and psychological one. The pandemic revealed deep divisions in society, including the spread of misinformation, anti-science attitudes, discrimination and how fear can lead to prejudice.   

One theme from my coursework that strongly connects to my COVID-19 experience is stigma. Throughout history, many diseases have been unfairly associated with specific racial or ethnic groups. For example, the 1918 influenza pandemic was widely called the “Spanish flu,” even though its origin remains debated. Such labeling contributes to social stigma and fosters discrimination. 

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) named the virus COVID-19 to avoid stigmatization, discrimination against Asians—particularly Chinese people—still occurred. As an international Chinese student, I directly experienced this stigma. The confrontation I had with the antimask individual at the park is just one example. This pattern is not unique to COVID-19. Throughout history, marginalized groups have been blamed for outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and tuberculosis. For instance, Irish immigrants in 19th-century America were falsely accused of spreading cholera, even though the disease was actually caused by contaminated water. Similarly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people ignored scientific explanations and instead looked for someone to blame. 

However, compared to past pandemics, some progress has been made. Unlike the “Spanish flu,” which carried a geographic label, COVID-19 was given a neutral name to reduce stigma. While discrimination still existed, at least the official terminology did not contribute to it. This shows that societies are slowly learning from past mistakes, even if prejudice remains a persistent challenge. 

Living through the COVID-19 pandemic was an experience I will never forget. As an international student, I faced unique challenges, from discrimination to prolonged isolation. Though it was a difficult time, I also witnessed how society adapted. Many people became more conscious of hygiene and disease prevention, and simultaneously, the pandemic also exposed societal flaws. 

In the future, I hope that scholars studying COVID-19 will not only focus on the medical impact of the virus but also on its social and psychological consequences. If history has taught us anything, it is that fear often leads to stigma, and understanding these patterns is essential to preventing them from happening again.