Virus or not, university life proceeds with no regrets

Kuang Aining traveled to the United Kingdom in autumn 2019 to pursue a bachelor's degree in education and sociology at Durham University in northeastern England, but by the end of the second term of her first year, she had no choice but to return to China－because of COVID-19.

The Beijing native, now 20, said she then had the most challenging year in her student life, with one-third of her undergraduate course undertaken remotely and virtually, which has exacted a heavy toll on her.

"I spent my whole second year taking online classes in China and missed the feeling of engaging with my professor and classmates in a real classroom. I was often demotivated when having online lectures and seminars since I didn't have to go out of my room and always stayed in my comfort zone."

The lack of engagement and interaction depressed her, so at the beginning of year three she was determined to return to Britain to continue her studies.

On her return she was not particularly bothered by the higher daily infection figures in the country because, she said, the UK has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, and people are getting used to the virus and getting on with their lives. Safety measures on campus also reassured her.

Her main concern was what to do if she contracted the virus.

"If I were ill in China my parents could always look after me, but here I have to take care of myself and be independent."

Having only stayed in the UK for six months during her first two years of university life, she was also concerned about how she would interact with fellow students.

"Because most local students returned to Durham when the pandemic was at its worst, and I did not return until October, I was afraid I could be excluded when I started my junior year."

'No easy decision'

So returning to England was by no means an easy decision, she said, especially with COVID-19 in China mainly under control, in contrast to the UK, where daily infections were between 30,000 and 35,000 at the end of September.

Her biggest problem is the desire to mingle with other students but remain safe, she said.

"Almost all the local students in Durham don't wear a mask when socializing, whereas Chinese students are always really cautious about their health. If I want to get involved in social activities it would look weird that I am the only one wearing a mask, so I'm just struggling whether I should stay at home for safety reasons or socialize with people."

She had considered all scenarios before she returned to Durham, she said.

"I had foreseen the challenges … and it's totally what I had expected."

She has been vaccinated, she said, and makes sure she takes COVID-19 tests before engaging in social activities.

It has been more than three months since she began re-immersing herself in British culture, and she has no regrets, she said.

"Even some of my friends want to return to the UK, but have decided not to because of their parents' worries. But I'm really happy with my decision, and I'm really enjoying university life."