85 international exchange students studying at Birmingham City University have had to flee to their home countries once lockdown measures began in the UK.
Ida Stromstedt, 21, a Criminology student, said she was shocked when she realised she had to go back to Sweden: “When the virus first came up on the news, I would have never thought that it would ever affect me or my time abroad. A few weeks later I had to book the next possible flight home.”
Ida said: “With the seriousness of the situation becoming more apparent, panic started spreading and exchange students started worrying.
“I wasn’t sleeping really well during that time. I was constantly thinking about the situation and whether I should leave or not.”
She wasn’t the only exchange student that was confronted with the tough decision of leaving or staying. 55 Erasmus students from Europe and 30 exchange students from outside Europe were enjoying life in Birmingham and studying at BCU.
Dr. Asya Draganova, the Erasmus academic lead for Birmingham School of Media Student exchanges, said it was a shame but necessary: “The experience in Birmingham would not be completed in its original form for the exchange students. It is important to prioritize safety, health and family.”
On the positive side, BCU offers great possibilites for exchange students to finish their semester with online teaching.
“Assignment briefs and deadlines have been revised to ensure that students can still submit coursework and complete their exchange semester”, Dr. Draganova explained.
For sure many of the international exchange students will be looking forward to the lockdown being over soon, so they can return to the U.K. and visit all the places they had left on their bucket lists.
Despite the disappointment Ida had to face, she knows exactly what she wants to do when she gets back to Birmingham: “The first place I am going to visit will be my favorite Indian restaurant.”