Dear students,

How are you? Have you eaten, rested? Are you keeping well? I wanted to reach out to you during this time to acknowledge a few things about the current environment we are in. I too, am just another international student staying in my accommodation where my whole life resides. As much as I’m powering on, as you are probably too… we can’t deny that this is hard. Being a student in such an environment can get tiring, and we have so much to do and it seems like motivation is running thin. Though I hold no official position, I hope this letter will resonate with you…

I know things aren’t easy right now. I know being stuck indoors, with nothing but screens to keep you connected can get monotonous. Life is not what life should be, and getting in the headspace to do your studies can be really hard thing to do.

But you are doing so well. I can’t even begin to tell you how good of a job you are doing just by being here. And I want to tell you how proud I am of you. How proud I am to see that you’re still waking up and getting on with your day pretending like things are good. Proud that you are still learning, that you’re still hitting those deadlines and attending your classes.

However, please remember that you don’t have to strain yourself. You don’t have to give it your 100% all the time. It’s okay if somedays you just wake up and stay in bed. It’s okay if you need to take a day off from work and just watch your favourite shows. It’s okay to not achieve your best grades, and most importantly, it’s okay to feel down and out. As students, no one in the world can understand the things you go through; thinking this should be the best time of your life. No one knows what you need or what you are feeling, only you do.

Although, I want you to keep it up okay? You’re getting through it in your own little ways. Trudging on through this rough patch that I can ensure you will be over soon. Keep holding on, and if you feel like you need to let go and breathe for a moment, then do so. Go at your own pace and achieve at your own successes. You’ll get where you need to go.

Do note, please reach out to your friends and family. Reach out to your pet even. Reach out to all the different type of support groups you need. In a time of quarantine and isolation, leaving ourselves alone can be one of the worst things we can do. Yeah, maybe this is quite generic and this validation seems unsolicited, but hopefully we’ll be back soon. Be back to classes, back to our night-outs, back to coffee dates, and back to our lives. Till then, stay safe and take care of yourself and one another. You’ve got this. We’ve got this.

Regards,
H.M.

To all my fellow BU students, the BU staff and team are around to support you in any way they can. Whether it be tech issues, or studying matters, or personal troubles. I have linked all of BU’s support information below to those who need it.

1. IT Services
2. Financial Support 
3. Student Health & Wellbeing 
4. Library support
5. Exam and Preparation Support
6. Disability and Additional Learning Support
7. Careers and Employability Support