International Student Q&A: Northwestern University
This is the first in an ongoing series about international students studying in the US. We will be featuring their stories about their experiences in the United States. Today Hamza Mahmood (NU’23), one of our ConnectED Campus Ambassadors, is sharing his story.
Q) Can you introduce yourself?
A) I am an international student at Northwestern University. I’m from Pakistan and I just finished my freshman year here.
Q) How did the pandemic affect your college life this past spring as an international student?
A) After the WHO declared a pandemic, all students, both international and domestic, were asked to vacate their dorms as soon as possible to de-densify campus. As I frantically packed my bags, I failed to realize the significance of the situation. I didn’t realize I was saying goodbye to the people and place that had become home and not just for weeks, but for almost a year to follow.
Q) So did you go back to Pakistan? How was it being back home after such an abrupt end to your college experience?
A) Yes I did though it wasn’t a simple one way trip to Pakistan. Flights to the country from the US are sporadic and unreliable. So I decided to go to the UK first while the virus wreaked havoc across Europe. At the time it seemed to be the best option until the UK failed to contain the virus in March. I hauled my luggage to the taxi and booked my flight on the way to the airport, still not fully appreciating the gravity of the situation. I was probably still reeling from the shock of what had just happened or maybe the sheer abruptness of the situation that caused me to gloss over the significance of what was happening.
Q) What was it like being back in your home country?
A) After arriving in the UK and finding a flight to Pakistan, I flew back to my home country. To protect my family from any risk that I had contracted the virus while traveling, I self quarantined for three weeks. After testing negative twice, I was able to leave my room without fear of infecting my family. I was shocked by how much Pakistan had changed with its strict lockdowns, mask mandates, and the closure of the economy. I had minimal contact with the outside world and was taking my online classes in the middle of the night. Syncing to my online classes set to US Central time, meant that I didn’t see sunlight for a whole school quarter. All of this greatly impacted my mental health.
Q) What did you do after classes ended? Did it affect any of your summer internship opportunities?
A) As summer came, my situation improved. I was able to utilize my time productively by interning at numerous firms, which has given me an outlet for my energy. Pakistan started to handle the virus and I was able to socialize with a mask while maintaining distance. It was not ideal, but it was enough to allow me to maintain a positive outlook for the future. As I worked and planned for life in the fall, I took for granted that the US would be able to handle the virus. Believing that colleges would be open for business per the norm, I fantasized about life in Evanston as I slaved away in Lahore. As the summer progressed, however, the US failed to stifle the spread of the virus. Cases spiked and reality hit: fall and perhaps even winter would not be normal by any measure.
Q) How did the ICE announcement impact on you?
A) Over the summer, I was confused about the fall quarter. Then ICE announced their guidelines for F1 visa holders. A haphazard plan with conflicting ideas and goals, the new guidelines only created more problems. Students across the globe were in frenzy and voiced their opposition, colleges sued, and I watched in disbelief. While the ICE guidelines were overturned, its effects lasted. My international student peers and I are now in a constant state of anxiety. All of us are wondering the same question: What will the US do now?
Q) Will Northwestern be open for the fall quarter? If so, what are your plans for the fall?
A) Northwestern has adopted a hybrid model with some classes being held in-person. I wanted to return to campus; however, given the inability of the US to contain the virus coupled with a lack of faith in my school to handle an outbreak as students return meant I opt in to stay home for the fall. I hope to be able to travel to the UK at some point in an effort to improve my mental health; however, gone are the days when one could plan what they were going to do next.