COVID-19 hit the world in full force in March 2020, albeit to varying degrees. March 2020 is also when students will have been fully immersed in their studies or internships abroad. We spoke to some students on an exchange in Sweden, Ireland, South Korea, Denmark and Italy during this (first?) corona-peak.
Going abroad while getting your degree for either studies or an internship is an exciting time. It pulls you out of your comfort zone, away from all that is familiar, but the rewards you reap are thrilling and numerous. You expand your horizons in terms of cultural experiences and friendships, and you get to learn so much more about yourself. Often you acquire new language skills and a massive confidence boost. The numbers clearly endorse going on an exchange during your studies: those going on an exchange double their chances of employment a year after graduation; 1/3 of Erasmus+ trainees are offered a job where they worked; Erasmus+ alumni tend to find their first job faster and earn 25% more[1].
But what happened in March 2020, when a lot of students spread across the world were asked: “will you stay, or will you go?” by their home universities when the lockdowns were initiated in many countries. It’s interesting to see how our students experienced the various situations across the world.
The quarantine-time gave me lots of time to work on reports, assignments and online courses
Jett (first year MSc Architectural Engineering) is in Göteborg, Sweden for a full academic year: “I stayed. I felt safe, and the hassle to move back to Belgium wasn’t worth it. I also wanted to stay close to where I was taking my courses.”
Linde (third year BA Political Sciences) was in Cork, Ireland for 2.5 months: “I came back. The stress of following the news in Belgium and in Ireland, and knowing my family was worried about me, became unbearable. I didn’t want to risk either country closing its borders, so I came home a week after Ireland implemented its measures.”
Devonne (fifth year MSc Biology) was in Venice, Italy for 6 months: “I was completing my internship in Northern Italy, and the region was severely affected. It really impacted my mental health, but I completed the six months assignment there, and then left. We were asked to do a one-month extension, but I did that here in Canada.”
Luka (third year BA Sociology) is in South Korea for 2 semesters: “I stayed. The situation is much better here, and I was worried it could influence my studies [to go back] since the semester in Belgium had already been going on for longer.”
Tina (first year MSc Biomedical Research) was in Copenhagen, Denmark for 1 semester: “My plan was to stay in Denmark originally, but when borders started closing and students left their accommodation, I decided it was best to be with my family in Belgium during these strange times.”
VUB: “How did it impact your studies?”
Jett: “Not a lot has changed. The schedules are still followed, even though all classes are online. They are somewhat more difficult to follow in a very focussed manner though. My internship for next academic year in Switzerland got cancelled though.”
Linde: “I’m lucky because the semester in Ireland started in early January. I only had to follow online classes for two weeks. My exams and deadlines were in early May, so the lockdown period was my study period. The lockdown however is now starting to impact my mental health, but luckily, I don’t need to focus on studying anymore, so it won’t influence my grades as much.”
Tina: “My internship practically ended in March, but I still participate in lab-meetings every Tuesday. The quarantine-time gave me lots of time to work on reports, assignments and online courses”
Luka: “The university here was closed until May and all of my classes are still online. I have no exams, only papers. I actually like the online classes because there is more flexibility to plan your day.”
Managing an adult lifestyle wasn't as scary as I expected
VUB: “What where the top 5 things you learned while being abroad?”
Devonne: “I learned that I’m capable of seeking additional responsibility; that I’ve a wide range of skills in the workplace; that I have a strong capacity for languages; that I’m strong and resilient; that I’ve strong leadership capacity.”
Linde: “I learned to take care of myself (cooking, laundry, cleaning, etc.) and thanks to my Chinese roommate, I picked up some Chinese recipes; English academic writing; Being more social & talking to people I don’t know; Irish politics; All my prejudices about Americans got confirmed!”
Jett: “Managing an adult lifestyle (paying rent, groceries, etc) wasn’t as scary as I expected; Enjoying nature and the city with a healthy work-life balance; No matter where someone is from, everyone has similar experiences which allow for conversation; Take matters into your own hands and do what’s best for you in an unfamiliar environment; Acquiring immense amounts of knowledge and understanding by going to classes/events/meetings with an open mindset and with new people.”
VUB: “Considering all you’ve been through while being abroad during these trying corona times, would you do it again and recommend others to go abroad?”
Jett: “Yes, although I can’t anymore, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone!”
Linde: “If I ever get the chance again, I definitely would, and I’d also recommend others to do it if they get the chance. It’s an amazing experience: you meet people from all over the world. You start alone, which is scary, but you must remember that everyone starts alone. You make friends and they become very important to you. They’re the kind of friends who stay in your life. Also, besides the studying you also get to travel around in the country you’re staying in, so it’s a bit like a holiday.”
Luka: “Yes, I want to go again during my master’s programme, and I can see myself working and living abroad in the future, if possible. I definitely recommend it to other people, but I think the motivation has to come from within.”
Devonne: “Yes, I certainly would recommend this to any student. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have done an internship abroad. It was a fulfilling and challenging experience, and regardless of all the issues (my supervisor was extremely ill and often absent because of this; the extreme flooding in Venice; Corona), it was a highly beneficial experience!”
Tina: “Although my Erasmus-experience was an even bigger challenge than initially planned, I would definitely go abroad again to study or do an internship. I’m amazed by how I grew as a person.”
Considering going abroad during your studies? Check with your exchange coordinator in your faculty, go to the website for more info, or contact the VUB International Relations office on exchange.outgoing@vub.be
[1] European Commission 2017