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Syracuse University international students have faced difficulties while taking classes remotely.

When SU first transitioned to online classes due to the coronavirus pandemic in March, many international students chose to return to their home countries. Because of travel restrictions and other complications related to the pandemic, several have not returned to campus this fall.

Multiple international students told The Daily Orange that being away from campus, plus the virtual nature of their courses, has posed both academic and social challenges, leaving them feeling neglected.

The time difference between Syracuse and some international students’ home countries continues to present challenges for many students, even as SU has expanded asynchronous course material since the spring.

Jessica Tran, a sophomore international student from Vietnam studying film and photography, said she began the semester having to take classes as early as 4 a.m. When she asked two professors if she could choose to take their classes asynchronously, one refused, saying it was unfair to students who were taking classes in person, she said.

While the professor did let her switch to another section of the class at a different time, the new section overlaps with a class she was already taking, Tran said. But because international students have to register a minimum of 12 credits every semester to maintain their F-1 visa status, she said can’t withdraw from either class.

“It’ll affect my GPA so much but there’s nothing else I can do,” Tran said.

Eileen Chen, an SU junior from China who is studying international relations, said she was anxious about how she would perform in online classes at the beginning of the fall semester. Some of her classes take place in real time, which for her means attending late at night or early in the morning.

“Taking classes all online just isn’t seeming real for me, and my efficiency in learning also dropped down,” said Ainley Xiao, a sophomore who is from China and planning to declare a biology major this year.

Unstable internet connections have also caused difficulties for Chinese students taking remote classes.

One of Xiao’s classes requires students to check in through a mobile application, which she said typically takes her several minutes due to her slow internet speed. Xiao said the time window sometimes automatically closes before she is able to log in and she can’t access the class, which results in an absence.

“My GPA is all depending on luck now,” Xiao said.

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Many of Tran’s film classes also require her to access a lot of software and equipment to complete assignments. While SU typically provides the software for free to students, Tran said it’s expensive to access it in Vietnam.

Tran said she is even considering returning back to campus just so she can access the required resources for her classes.

Beyond technical issues, international students have also felt increasingly isolated and disconnected from their peers and professors this semester. Several said their messages in Zoom chat boxes often go unanswered, and it’s difficult to get timely responses from their professors over email.

“When I was in Syracuse, I went to my professors’ office hours every time when a paper was assigned,” Chen said. “But now, there’s no other way to reach them other than emails, since the office hours listed on the syllabus aren’t available to my time zone. And a lot of them won’t reply at all unless you email-shoot them several times a week.”

Attending classes remotely has made it difficult for international students to maintain their social lives, too. Chen said she’s had to stay up all night to attend her synchronous courses, and her social life has suffered as a result.

“It had put me in a great amount of pressure as I can’t enjoy my social life as a normal college student could do. I can’t even see my parents living under the same roof,” Chen said. “For friends at Syracuse, I can only text them on the phone, and most of my childhood friends are away from our hometown for other colleges. So, overall, I’ve become much more lonely than before.”

Tran recently found a daytime job in her home city of Saigon. After finishing her work during the day and classes at night, she was only able to sleep for four to five hours on average.

SU has proposed means for international students in China to continue their studies away from the United States in the spring semester, including the option to take part time in-person classes at Southwest University in Chongqing and Eastern China Normal University in Shanghai. They can also choose to study abroad in an SU Abroad center, according to an email sent by the Syracuse Abroad Office on Wednesday.

Despite the university’s efforts, though, the students said it would still be difficult for them to take classes away from SU for another semester.

“I really wish this pandemic would get over soon,” Xiao said. “If it’s still online classes next semester, I don’t really know how I’m gonna do.”

Published on October 28, 2020 at 11:41 pm

Contact Francis: btang05@syr.edu | @francis_towne