With the residence halls closing and many students traveling back home with their families, some international students haven’t had as smooth of a transition. 

Tobias Cameron, junior communications major from Gold Coast, Queensland, AUS, said the idea of traveling back home was quite scary.

“Coach Golding told us after we had a team meeting in Katy about the tournament being canceled that he wanted us to be safe,” Cameron said. “I was worried because traveling overseas back home would cause a lot of trouble so that was all going through my mind.”

Josiah Oduro, sophomore marketing major from Ateiku, Ghana, said Abilene is like a second home to him.

“I am staying in Abilene,” Oduro said. “I am an international student from Ghana. For that reason Abilene is basically my second home.”

COVID-19 happened so quickly that Cameron said he thought going back home seemed like it wouldn’t happen.

“Everything happened very quick when we had arrived in Katy, ” Cameron said. “But since I am staying here until I head back, time tends to move by very slowly due to the restricted lifestyle the world is living in at the moment.”

With the pressure of not knowing what was going on, businesses closing down and starting online classes, Oduro said he hasn’t seen anything like this before.

“I thought it was pretty crazy because I have not heard or seen anything like this before, to be honest.” Oduro said. “Little did I know it was going to get to the point where everything has to close down and for people to stay inside all the time.”

Like all of us, it is taking some time to get adjusted to the new online class format, emailing professors and getting back into the swing of things. 

Cameron was faced with having to travel and take on the load of classes, but he said he is doing well.

“I’m adjusting pretty well,” Cameron said. “I’ve lived all over the world so getting used to change isn’t all that hard by now.”

Oduro said he is slowly, but surely getting back into the swing of things.

“Especially for my online classes,” Oduro said. “All assignments came in from professors at once so there is a little bit of pressure. But also,  I understand why because it’s a new phase where we all are trying to figure it out.”