Having a child studying abroad can be a bit stressful. Having a child studying abroad while we’re on the brink of a pandemic takes that stress to a whole new level.
I was hoping we could offer each other some support in this thread.
My Kiddo #1 is overseas on a program administered by American Councils. Covid-19 has been detected in her city recently, and ACS offered the option for students to return home. Returning home would come at our expense, and mean the loss of the semester. Plus, traveling brings about its own risks. We have made the decision she will stay there. However, the possibility exists that the university will eventually have to shut down or suspend classes. She is in a country where wifi/internet access is not free at the university or readily available, so the possibility of converting to online classes is slim. Which means that she will lose the semester if that happens. And at that time, it’s possible that there would be travel bans and/or restrictions in place that may make it difficult or even impossible to bring her home.
I suspect others also find themselves navigating the fine lines between actions and negative consequences and I’d love to hear what you are thinking.
My daughter is in Amsterdam. I hope that she gets to stay the whole time until she is scheduled to come home in mid-May. I had been planning on visiting her in April, but I don’t think that’s going to happen now.
There is a significant amount of luck in all of this.
We have a daughter studying abroad in a location that does not have any coronavirus at all, yet. I have wondered whether she would be safer staying there through the summer rather than come home for a week or two between the end of the semester and when her summer internship starts. Taking two flights (one from there to home, one from home back to there) and traveling through our area where the coronavirus exists at a low level seems riskier than just staying where she is.
I do check the status of the coronavirus in her area every couple of days.
The health system in Europe is very good. With the coronavirus hitting the US it is not obvious whether coming home makes things safer. On the other hand, attending large classes and eating in restaurants or in university cafeterias does seem to carry a large risk.
It has occurred to me that our university-age kids are in most cases more likely to survive the coronavirus with minimal complications than us older parents.
My daughter’s university said they have to all come home, although the program said they could stay. So the five students from her university booked their flights, but the students from other universities are staying. They decided not to fight it. We have no idea what that’s going to mean for credits for the semester, and she’s very upset about this, but she said she feels it’s best for her to come home.
I’m torn. Flying is far riskier for exposure than staying there. But staying poses the risk of all fights being grounded and her unable to come home. The decision has been made and we’re just going to live with it.
My son is in Kenya, and his university has ended all study abroad and he has to come home. I do worry about the risk of exposure in the airports and on the planes.