Following the advice of Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry, UNBC has announced that the university plans to return to in person classes in September 2021. While uncertainty remains, international students at UNBC are hopeful that international borders and travel restrictions continue to ease so they are able to move as planned to Prince George.

Chioma Irounwa has been a UNBC student living in Nigeria since January 2021. Photo courtesy of C. Irounwa.

Graduate student Chioma Irounwa and undergraduate Emmanuel Ajemba were both planning to move to Prince George to study this year, but have been delayed for various reasons and are currently studying from Nigeria. “I had this notion that I am going to a new place, a new country, a new continent where I’m going to meet a lot of people, where I’ll be able to [work towards] my dream.” Irounwa is currently completing pre-entry courses for a masters degree in gender studies, a shift from her background in accounting. Of studying from Nigeria while working full time, she says, “It’s been so stressful... It’s not something I had envisioned, not something I had anticipated.”

Emmanuel Ajemba is a transfer student in the computer science department. Photo courtesy of E. Ajemba.

Ajemba, an undergraduate studying computer science while residing in Nigeria, says that “it’s easier in a sense because you’re not moving, but then it’s very, very tough especially when you need people around, that feeling of communal learning.” While he is able to watch recorded lectures after their scheduled time, not attending means that it’s harder to get questions answered before the class moves on to the next topic. 

The negative impacts of online classes have been universally felt, compounding the stressors associated with navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Some students have found the silver lining to online classes, but for many, they welcome the return to in person classes. Abby Dooks, director of external affairs for the Northern BC Graduate Students Association (NBCGSS), is hoping that UNBC will consider a hybrid model to help students who might find it challenging to transition back to in-person classes in the fall or potentially find travel restrictions prohibitive to attending. 

Both Irounwa and Ajemba are looking forward to in-person classes and optimistic that they will be able to attend. “Even in the midst of the pandemic, people were able to travel and things are really getting better with the vaccine available, so I think by September, it shouldn’t be an issue,” says Irounwa. She says she has not yet received communication from UNBC regarding how re-opening might impact her as an international student, but says her supervisor, Dr. Jacqueline Holler, has been supportive and empathetic.  

Listen to the interviews on CFUR-FM:

Chioma Irounwa, masters student, Gender Studies

Emmanuel Ajemba, undergraduate student, Computer Science