OPINION - Why Did I Fly All The Way Here?

Roughly 3,700 miles away from home, and self-isolating for two weeks after flying in – the last thing I expected was to be thrown into a lockdown. It’s easy to say that I felt stranded and lost. Being in complete isolation without any interaction with another person will do that to someone.

Let’s rewind a little.

A couple of weeks prior, I was in Dubai having a discussion with my mother on why I should go to Belfast this semester instead of waiting until January.

I brought up the Queen’s Campus Commitments and told her about how there will still be face-to-face teaching, trying to reassure my mother that I will get my education the way I normally would.

I put my faith in these commitments being honoured, so I paid (a lot) for a ticket and I flew to Belfast.

On the day of my flight, I was more concerned about adjusting back into my university routine after two weeks of self-isolation than I was about another lockdown.

It was disheartening, to say the least. Suddenly the online lectures seemed to drag on even more and trying to find motivation to get my tasks done was pretty hard. I was disappointed by the situation.

I knew there was always a chance for another lockdown, my mum made sure I knew that very clearly. But I was hoping that classes would go on and that, with the measures Queen’s put in place, it would have all been okay.

It is a terrible position to be in, alone and unable to do anything social - my only option was to walk to Lidl for groceries. At the end of the four weeks of this circuit breaker lockdown, if it is only four weeks, I will have been in lockdown for a total of six weeks. With the days getting shorter, it starts to feel like an incredibly long amount of time.

I feel like I have been robbed. Robbed of a chance to experience any form of university life, to socialize and to meet friends. All the reasons I flew all the way out here seemed to have been stolen.

I can’t even pack up and go back home without considering that I will still have to pay rent for my room. I don’t fall under the Queen’s Rent Holiday since I’m not housed at Elms.

Despite Queen’s claiming to guarantee accommodation for International Students, when I applied for Elms, the rooms had run out. So I was redirected to apply at Student Roost.

If I choose to cancel my contract, I’ll have to pack up my whole apartment again and pay for a storage unit. All of these additional expenses and there is still no support.

It gets depressing really fast.

I’m just holding out hope that this circuit breaker lockdown is only four weeks so that I can at least live a normal, or as close to normal, university life.

I’m just holding out hope that my faith in the university is valid.

As an international student, I feel incredibly let down.

Huda Al Baqali is a First Year Business Information Technology from Dubai.

Listen to her interview of The Scoop On Sunday