The Experiences of International Students Studying in the UK during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study investigated the experiences of international students studying in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic by examining how the pandemic impacted their academic, psychological, and sociocultural adaptation. An online survey of 343 international students measured the impact of a range of pandemic-related stressors, including loneliness, and host university support on adaptation outcomes. The results indicated that the pandemic exerted an adverse effect on all adaptation domains. Loneliness emerged as a significant negative predictor of adaptation outcomes, and students who had experienced pandemic-related stressors reported lower adaptation than peers who had not been exposed to these stressors. Group comparisons showed that students who had been offered online social activities, guidance on adapting to remote learning, guidance on housing issues, and advice on how to deal with COVID-related discrimination adapted better than peers who had not been provided with these support measures. We discuss implications for future emergency response strategies in higher education, in particular for student support.