Online teaching has been a thing for a while now, but it has significantly increased in the Covid19- crisis that we are going through, nevertheless, this did not stop international students from pursuing their studies abroad, this strange experience of being abroad but at the same time home studying online has been a hell of a ride and like everything in life it has its ups and downs. For me as an International student from the middle east studying in Europe and at the same time online has been an experience that I have not anticipated.
I have been dreaming of pursuing a master’s degree in Europe since I graduated in 2014, but life doesn’t always go the way we want, I faced different problems and obstacles before I could finally apply for a master degree beginning of 2020, after a long search I applied for the Content Strategy master degree in Graz/Austria, after reading the program description I felt like this master is tailored-made for me (despite some materials of course!) it was the best decision I have ever made.
The thing was that the program was online with few presence weeks and weekends per semester which I thought will be a whole new exciting experience, after all, you get to be present for some time in the semester, and the rest you can communicate with your fellow students online.
Covid19 hits…
Beginning March, I already applied for my master studies and had my interview in April, that is when Covid19 hit the world hard, this change never stopped me from doing my interview, and being accepted at FH was one of the best feelings ever!
I never thought through what would happen with the Covid situation, after all, my studies were online for most of the time anyway so why panic!
The Journey Begins
After getting accepted, as a Middle Eastern Student I started working on my visa, as Covid19 had caused to close all borders between countries and as I live in Syria where for now all embassies are closed, I had to go to Lebanon to apply for a visa, borders are closed also, so I had no option but to…. Wait!
After a very long and stressful wait that begin in May and ended at beginning of September where they opened the borders for students who wants to apply for a visa so they can catch their studies in Europe, I applied for a visa hoping I can join my fellow students at the beginning of October for the first presence week at FH Joanneum in Graz.
Positive aspects of Online Teaching
Unfortunately, I could not get my visa for the first and “only” attendance week at my new university, the benefits of online teaching came knocking on my door, I could with 3 other fellow students attend all my lectures and workshops online from the comfort of my home and a cup of green tea. I was grateful for all the technology that made me as much as possible feel like I am part of the sessions going on in my new master’s degree and also that online teaching is the one that made me not lose the opportunity I have been dreaming of in the last 6 years!
Also, online teaching has other positive points, you can concentrate more on normal days after work in the comfort of your home while watching and contributing to online sessions, as we in COS at FH we have a lot of teamwork, online meetings and social media platforms make it easier for us to meet more frequently and plan our assignments and deadlines.
Here comes the negative of online studying.
After getting my visa and being able to fly to Graz and settle down, we continued to have all our lectures online, the crisis was and is still getting worse every day, and the possibility to meet people and students at the university is very close to zero.
The bright side (yes, I always try to look on the bright side) is that our studies didn’t stop, we are developing our skills and shaping our talents, but on our own, in a lonely way.
As an international student, I wanted to meet my fellow students, have some gatherings, and a “student life” wanted to get to know the city and the country I am living in, also the culture through people you meet.
Another Barrier
I can say from my own experience that living in German-speaking countries even if you have excellent English, will not spare you the importance of learning the German language. And here comes another challenge of online teaching, learning a new language through zoom calls is, for now, the hardest, as you don’t only hear new words, but you hear it over a laptop without human feelings or interactions.
Conclusion
Living abroad is hard enough and kind of an experience itself, studying abroad online is another story for international students, but the most important point is accomplishing our dreams and getting the degree whatever, it takes and however the mean, doing the very best while relying on technology for those hard times is a priceless opportunity for us all.
In the end, I cannot ignore the importance of online teaching as it is what is making us move forward with our studies and work despite the crisis, maybe for my personal experience some human interaction with online teaching would be the best combination to save time, have friends, interact with humans, and move ahead with our careers and lives.