International Students’ Stories of Pandemic Self-Isolation: Perspectives at a Christian University

Abstract

This research aims to examine the experiences of international students taking courses during the COVID-19 pandemic amidst lockdowns, self-isolation, and the closure of international borders. We interviewed 15 students, mainly from South Asia, attending university in Atlantic Canada who could not return to their countries of origin before the travel restrictions were imposed. The findings expose major mental health issues the stranded international students faced and the impact on their well-being as well as educational attainment. The study has implications for mental health support systems in Christian universities but has also revealed that Christian compassion was a key coping mechanism for affected students. To the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the experience of international students left stranded by COVID-19 restrictions in Atlantic Canada.