Being an International Post-Grad Student During a Pandemic

How to maintain your mental health and survive the chaos

As you may know, being a Ph.D. student itself is not an easy task. But if you are an international post-graduate student, you have even more on your plate.

Beyond all the academic stress, add the sadness of being away from home and everything/ everyone you love. There is also the struggle to communicate in a second language and learn the rules and the culture of a different country. Not enough? Add a pandemic to your list.

As a Brazilian Ph.D. candidate, I spent 15 months in Canada to perform my research. Many things scared me before I left my country. Still, none of them got even closer to the reality: the struggle of finishing my doctoral studies during a pandemic, alone and overseas.

Here are some things I learned (the hard way) being an international student during these unfortunate times:

Don’t read other research groups’ articles

When you first get into a new laboratory, you often feel mesmerized by the number of equipment and supplies available. You start dreaming about everything you can do regarding your research and all the extra results you will be able to gather before going back to your home country.

Feeling powerful and invincible, you read high-impact publications from other research groups and realize you could use the same techniques and improve your study. After all, you have all the goods for that now.

Let me tell you some sad news: you don’t. Having all the laboratory equipment does not mean they are working or that someone will find time to teach you how to use them.

The smartest move is to talk to other students and learn what they have done in the past. Choose someone in their last years of post-graduation because they know what it is possible to perform with the supplies available.

I am not trying to downsize your dreams or discourage you. Instead, I am helping you setting the right expectations and avoiding disappointment.

Don’t be intimidated by other researchers

As a foreigner, you feel left out all the time. Students who belong to the research group know each other from college, master's degree, or anywhere else out of academia. As they have similar cultural backgrounds, it is easier for them to get along. And I won’t even mention the language barrier!

For an international student, everything is more challenging. You struggle with things that go from finding where the material is stored to knowing how to operate the equipment you have never seen in your life. People who have studied/worked there for years will be more knowledgeable, but that does not mean you can’t learn.

Do not be afraid of asking questions. Be present and be prepared. Study your group’s publications and studies before showing up to work. That way, you will know exactly what to ask when the opportunity arises.

Don’t take things personally

If someone says, you can’t use certain materials or need the training to use simple equipment, just accept and move on. Being international can make us even more aware of racism or xenophobia, but that doesn’t mean you have to be defensive all the time.

Most of the time, laboratories require training from all new staff (and not just foreigners). Even though you may feel stupid, having to review things you already know for ages, following the rules, and understanding the procedures adopted in your work location can save you a future headache.

Don’t wait for your advisor to respond

It is not because you are international, or because you just got to this foreign place. Advisors tend to take a long time to respond to simple questions, especially if they are not urgent (after all, what is urgent?).

Again, it would help if you relied on the most open student around, who has experience with what you are working on. You may not even need to talk to your advisor so often because your peer will clarify your doubts and advise.

Leave the critical matter to discuss with your advisor, the things that are so relevant that could jeopardize your research. If it is something you can decide by yourself, do not waste your time. Be confident, trust in your instincts, and do it!

Don’t expect people to help you

I know it sounds like a contradiction. I have been saying, “find your peer and ask his/her assistance.” But what I want to talk about is the expectation of getting this help and what kind of help you can expect from your colleagues.

Where I come from, students/ researchers from the same research group help each other in the laboratory. If someone is running an experiment, and there are people around, you can expect to get assistance without even asking for it. Of course that it comes with the price of adding this person as a co-author to your future publication, which I believe is fair.

The thing is that not every place works like that. Being in Canada showed me how selfish students can be regarding their experiments and project results. It does not matter if you are doing the same thing as your peer. You will not share equipment or troubleshoot together.

You may feel lonely at first, but you will get used to it. Maybe with time, you will build a good relationship with your colleagues, and it will change, but please, do not rely on this fact.

Do everything by yourself, to yourself.

Adjust your goals and expectations

A pandemic messes with all your plans! And that is no news for anyone. Lockdown, social distancing, wearing masks, all these things changed every aspect of our lives.

So there is no doubt that you may not be able to finish every task you intended to, in the exact time you scheduled it to happen. And that is ok. Also, you may not even be able to finish these tasks at all. And you know what? That is ok too!

As a perfectionist, understanding that I am not in control of all my duties was not an easy thing. A lot of crying and therapy sections were involved in this process. I had to change most of my methodology and replace experiments to partially finish my experiments in time.

One of the most important aspects of a post-graduation life is publishing your study (preferably, in a high impact journal). Guess what? This will also be negatively affected by the pandemic.

First, journals are overwhelmed with submissions. Most of the researchers were/are working from home, so that means more time to write their manuscripts. Consequently, your submission may take longer to be analyzed by the reviewers/editors.

Additionally, people who were still working on their experiments and need permission to access their work location to finish them, are all delayed. Once everyone can finish their work, there will be another big wave of submissions, and the journals will be busy again.

Can you see that everyone is, somehow, in the same boat? And that is actually a good thing. Are you behind schedule? Everyone else is too! Try not to fall into the victimization trap. Channel your energy into something you can control, such as writing your thesis, brainstorming ideas for future publications, or even sending e-mails and expanding your network.

Be compassionate and kind with yourself

It would be best if you did not spend all your “pandemic time” doing things related to academia. Everything I mentioned before should be done with caution because you do not want to become obsessed with making up for these dark times we are facing.

Learn to appreciate your time of solitude. If you have not learned how to enjoy your time by yourself before, the pandemic will teach you the hard way. Make use of your hobbies, and if you don’t have one, now is the perfect time to figure out what you like doing.

Feeling like doing nothing? You can do that! Everybody deserves a break. Brainstorm your tasks for the week and set up daily goals. After being as productive as you planned, you can enjoy your relaxing time with no guilt.

Find support in your home country people

If you did not get the chance to meet your colleagues, or for any reason could not bound with them, it does not mean you are alone. Even though you are physically distant from your beloved ones, it doesn't mean you can’t be connected.

Make use of video chats. You can go for a walk, dine in a nice restaurant or even watch a movie/series with people who are miles and miles away. Don’t forget online games! Not only are they fun, but they will also distract you from all the stress life puts on your shoulders every day. Your friends can join you, and it may become a virtual party without you even noticing! Time flies when we are enjoying ourselves.

Don’t hesitate to seek help. If you feel overwhelmed, I am sure people back home are also experiencing some kind of pressure (after all, who isn’t, am I right?). Count on your beloved ones to open your heart and share your feelings. The baggage feels lighter if two people are carrying it.

Appreciate the moment, even if it’s not your best moment

Your experience may not go as you planned. You may or may not achieve every little goal you dreamed. But remember how much you wanted to be there and how much you fought to be where you are. Don’t let this virus make you forget your realizations! Appreciate the fact you are there, alive and more resilient than ever.

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