What It Was Like to Be a Student Abroad When COVID-19 Was Declared a Pandemic

While many of us are getting used to living and working in isolation while staying home, PhD student Jessica Serbu is already a pro. A graduate student in the Department of Biological Sciences, Jessica studies glacial melt, water quality, and carbon dioxide cycling in water through field work in the Rocky Mountains and the Arctic.

A typical research trip for Jessica means weeks without virtual or in-person contact with others. Her days involve hiking between locations, collecting water samples, and analyzing results back in her tent. Jessica finds the isolated nature of her work peaceful and a welcome retreat from the busyness of everyday life.

“Being a grad student, doing field work is often required and it’s the part that I most enjoy: no texting, no internet, just being so into the work that I’m doing.”

In February, Jessica (then a MSc student) travelled to South America with three collaborators at the University of Bristol. As they hiked deep into the Cordillera Blanca mountain range where their work on glacial rivers could take place, Jessica felt at ease despite knowing she wouldn’t see other people or be able to access the internet for weeks.

The research team settled into their remote camp and got to work. The days turned to weeks as the team of four collected their samples.

When the time arrived for a pre-arranged team rotation, the group descended from their camp and began to make their way to the closest city. Jessica checked her phone and was surprised by the number of emails, messages, and news alerts that appeared. “I was so shocked. Seeing that WHO had declared a pandemic was mind-blowing.”

Back in Edmonton, Zhi Jones, Associate Director of Education Abroad, and Markus Vuorensola, Risk Management and Scholarship Coordinator for University of Alberta International, had been monitoring the international COVID-19 situation. Borders were closing quickly and travel restrictions were being initiated. “The experience was different for each student depending on where they were and their unique circumstances,” Zhi says. Markus says that many students were able to return to Edmonton without any challenges, and that Jessica’s situation was the most extreme because she was in the most rural area.

Between March 7 and March 27 Jessica received and exchanged more than 130 emails with the U of A’s University of Alberta International team, her supervisor Vincent St. Louis, and the U of A’s travel agent Maritime Travel.

It wasn’t long before an email titled ‘URGENT: MUST RETURN HOME’ caught Jessica’s attention. Her research team had made it to the city of Huaraz where they were met with the news that the President of Peru had announced that the country would be entering military lockdown and halting all international travel. Jessica and her team made the 8-hour drive into Lima to be near the international airport before regional restrictions could tighten further.

“It was so surreal. Our reality for three weeks until that point was hiking and sampling water and really focusing on doing good science and contributing to the work that we’re all there for. And then it took such a turn. We weren’t scared or upset, it was just unbelievable. It felt like a daunting, unknown task.”

Meanwhile, Zhi, Markus, and Vincent continued to attempt to book commercial flights for Jessica, but because of Peruvian travel restrictions the flights were inevitably cancelled.

“It was pretty stressful and I was working [on getting Jessica home] almost full time for about ten days,” Vincent says. “As a supervisor you don’t want your student stranded.”

Like thousands of other Canadians across South America waiting for repatriation flights, Jessica waited safely in a Lima hotel and stayed in touch with her loved ones and U of A supports.

“Because I was registered as a student abroad the University of Alberta International team was really good at keeping in contact with me. They were checking in to see if not only was I physically okay, but if my mental health was also okay. The travel agent that works with the U of A, my supervisor, and the risk management team made such an effort to get me out, it was incredible.”

When a repatriation flight to Toronto finally became available, Vincent was able to secure her a seat. Jessica boarded a bus at the Canadian Embassy alongside an official police escort to the military base where the flight departed. After a layover in Toronto (and a stop at Tim Hortons), Jessica landed at Edmonton International Airport on March 27 and headed straight home to begin two weeks of quarantine.

“I often wondered what would happen if there was a major world event and I didn’t know about it,” Jessica laughs. “Now I know. The U of A did such an incredible job and I am just so grateful to everyone for getting me out. I was really impressed with U of A’s response to everything and keeping in touch with me and showing concern for my overall well being.”

Now a pro at working and living in isolation, Jessica has some advice for those who might be struggling with the adjustment:

“I think you have to just keep checking in with yourself and touch base with people you care about. Don’t be hard on yourself. We have so much time on our hands that we want to be productive, and it’s just not happening. That’s okay. I enjoy the opportunities to unplug and focus on small things that bring me joy.”

Jessica, like all of us, is waiting for things to return to some semblance of normal. For now, field work has been put on hold, so she’ll have to swap the isolation in the field for isolation at home.