Studying Abroad in the Era of COVID-19

Noah Franco

'Era' might be a bit dramatic, but it has certainly felt that way. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a wrench into many of our plans. This is especially true for students, many of whom are scrambling to figure out arrangements regarding online courses, internships, and graduation ceremonies. International and study abroad students have the added stress of deciding whether to stay put or return home and arrange to travel, which has become increasingly difficult. Noah Franco is an AUS design management student abroad at Arkansas State University who decided to remain in the United States. He shared with us how this pandemic has affected him as a study abroad student.

Much like most of us, Noah has been staying indoors lately. "I've been spending most of my time in my room working on assignments or watching lectures, watching Netflix, gaming with my friends back in Dubai, and scrolling endlessly through social media," he said. "Since I'm more of an introvert, I don't mind spending all this time indoors. However, I miss routine university life: walking to class, going to the gym and playing football, and so on."

At the time of my interview with Noah, Arkansas had 1,498 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The state is around 7,800 miles away from the UAE, but the effects the virus is having in both places are very similar: "I live on campus and the atmosphere here has drastically changed in the last month. Most of the students and staff have moved back into their homes and only a few people are left on campus. Off-campus, the streets are not as lively as they used to be as all restaurants are now takeaway only, and many other businesses are closed."

(Don't worry, this photo was taken before social distancing was imposed.)

Despite the shared experience we are all having living through this pandemic, it is undeniable that some of us are harder-hit due to a variety of reasons. For one, study abroad students have been put in unique situations due to COVID-19, such as "travel restrictions on going back home and having to take online classes at odd hours of the day (for the students that returned home early)," according to Noah.

Much like AUS, Arkansas State University decided to conduct classes remotely for the remainder of the spring semester. "Since I was already taking a few online classes this semester, adjusting to all online classes wasn't too hard," Noah said. "Except for when I procrastinate and have to end up watching multiple recorded lectures at the end of the week," he added.

At the Centennial Bank Stadium at Arkansas State University

As difficult as this situation is, most struggles do have a silver lining. "I think the world now understands the gravity of the situation and I think global crisis management and healthcare will improve for the better," Noah said.

Noah also has a message for everyone during these times, which IXO fully endorses: "I hope you and your family are doing well. Stay indoors and stay safe. Hang in there everyone!"

Suzana Saoud

IXO Publicity Specialist

Gigi's IXO Internship

Gigi at our office

IXO offers opportunities not only for study abroad, but also for employment and academic and professional career advancement. Aside from our many student employees, we have welcomed Visiting Guests-in-Residence to work at our office and gain experience relevant to their studies and careers. One such person was Jihan "Gigi" Elsayed, an American who interned at IXO throughout Fall 2019 to complete a graduate practicum. She has since landed a job in the UAE and hopes to stay here long-term.

Gigi's internship at IXO was the last requirement for her Master in International Education Management program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California, USA. "One of the benefits of completing the practicum at IXO was the opportunity to learn about different areas in international education management. For example, some practicum sites will either focus only on international student services or only on study abroad. At IXO, I worked on projects that focused not only on these, but also on professional development, alumni outreach, marketing and recruitment, etc. I was able to see and learn how the office operated as a whole and everything that went into it."

At her IXO birthday/farewell party

Working at IXO also broadened Gigi's scope of knowledge in her field in another way. "Professionally, I am more knowledgeable about education in the UAE. Since I grew up and studied in the USA, a lot of my knowledge regarding international education was very USA-focused, or European-focused, since I studied abroad in France. Having worked at IXO, I learned about international education from a different perspective."

"Overall, this was a great learning experience, and I appreciate and thank IXO for welcoming me and allowing me to complete [my Master's program] at AUS," she said.

Gigi doesn't plan on leaving the UAE anytime soon. "Ever since I studied abroad during my undergraduate studies, I always knew that I wanted to go abroad again. Currently, I am still living and working in the UAE, specifically in education. Hopefully by next fall, I will go back to school to receive a teaching diploma, and I hope to stay here long-term."


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist

Spring 2020 Memories

It is perhaps an understatement to say this semester isn't turning out as planned. This is especially true for our incoming students, many of whom are flying back home this week. However, all is not lost. We'd like to look back on some of the precious moments and memories our students made over the past several weeks to remember the great times we had and the beautiful friendships we made.

Sharing a meal

This photo is from one of our first trips of the semester to Dubai, at the Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding. There's probably nothing better than an Emirati-style meal to get people to bond and talk.

Secret Cupid

Casey was unamused by her present from our office's Valentine's Day gift exchange. Probably thinking about carrying it to the dorms.

Window shopping at the Old Souq

This was taken right before a seller badgered them into buying a 500 Dhs. antique dish set. (Just kidding.)

Sun's out, shades out

There was a bit of glare, but our boat ride across the Dubai Creek was still pretty great.

Birthday cupcakes

These are a staple of IXO student birthdays. Even after the campus was closed, we made sure to get them when it was someone's special day.

Stay hydrated

On our trip to Dubai, some took the heat better than others. (Hot weather and the sun seem to be recurring themes...)

Tara's tree branch disguise

Don't you just love candid shots?

Off to the races

Seif and Kim looked infuriatingly cool at the Dubai Kartdrome.

A place in the sun

Just one more, because this photo from our Fujairah outing is strangely artistic.

Lunch hour, best hour

After walking and exploring for hours on a trip, it was always nice to sit down for a meal with our students and chat - especially if they ordered food from the region and we could watch their reactions to it.

Repping IXO

A golden shot from the desert in Fujairah.

At the end of the day

Many a comfy evening was spent in the IXO lounge, where our students would get together after classes to have a snack and see familiar faces.

IXO relations are for life, and all our incoming students are forever part of our family. If you ever find yourself in the area, drop by the corner office in the Main Building with all the flags and the best coffee!


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist

Sawi's Superb Spanish Internship

Ahmed "Sawi" Eladl in Spain

We often share stories about study abroad on this blog, but there's another type of international experience that is equally valuable and exciting, if in a different way: international internships! Ahmed "Sawi" Eladl, an AUS chemical engineering alum and our former Peer Advisor, is one student who took advantage of this opportunity. He was a Global Intern at a startup at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, in 2018, and the experience honed his professional and personal skills and helped him learn a new language.

At the startup, Sawi assisted in trying to develop an innovative, sustainable concrete tile that can be heated with microwaves. "This is intended to replace the current heating system of using electric heaters in Spain's households and reduce CO2 emissions by 70%," he said.

Sawi's internship abroad allowed him to make connections and do work relevant to his major. "Being exposed to the startup scene in Valencia introduced me to pure multidisciplinary engineering for the first time, pushed me to think critically and outside the box, and helped me expand my professional network. I also developed my fabrication and product development skills as I was mainly involved in the development and testing phase of the tiles."

"Additionally, my interpersonal and communication skills were sharpened through working abroad in a multicultural team for almost two months," he said. "I also got to take Spanish classes and fell in love with the language."

The cherry on top was the place in which he got to do the internship. "Spain was an amazing country to live in, with beautiful beaches, great music, and bubbly people who appreciate life and live it to the fullest. I honestly think of it as the perfect retirement destination. I am definitely going back someday as the country has so much to offer."

Sawi had numerous international experiences prior to this. His study abroad at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA, in 2017, was especially important in preparing him for this internship abroad: "That was the first step I took outside my comfort zone. Before studying abroad, I could never have imagined taking such a step of interning abroad without the safety net of a university community of students. My study abroad is also what developed the travel bug that pushed me to look for an internship abroad in the first place."

If you are an AUS student interested in doing an internship abroad, check out our website to see some options and for more information.

Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist

The Bali Effect

Fatme Faour is an AUS marketing student who went on the one-week AICHE Study Tour to Indonesia in January 2020. She shares her experience in this blog post.

Fatme Faour in Indonesia

Bali, my dream getaway that turned into a reality. Not only was it my first time traveling alone but it was also the most amazing experience of my life. One of the few things that made it so memorable were the people that were there and how well we all got along together. Even though the only person I knew on the trip was my sister, all the students on the trip made me forget that. Every day was a day that I’ll never forget.

The study tour group

During the tour, we made academic outings to Unilever, the University of Indonesia, and a chocolate factory. All of these spots were highly insightful. The people at Unilever shed light on their supply chain, how they treat their employees and customers, and so on. Then, at the university, we got to see the beautiful campus, its facilities, and the exchange programs offered there. We also got to know the kindest students and their faculty. Moreover, the chocolate factory was both educational as well as entertaining, since they had us make and decorate our very own bars of chocolate.

Now, even though the trip and its locations were quite educational, we also had the chance to partake in various thrilling and adrenaline-pumping activities - which, in my opinion, are the best kinds of activities to have, particularly when going out with a group of people. Most of these activities were on my bucket list, such as holding a snake, going rafting, doing an ATV bike ride, visiting a monkey forest, going on the Bali swing, riding elephants and so on. My personal favorites were definitely rafting and the ATV bike rides because I got to enjoy them with such a fun group of people.

I would most definitely recommend study tours to anyone who is able to travel abroad. It is unquestionably the experience of a lifetime; at least it was for me. When I look back at my time in Indonesia and Bali, the idea that I was a part of that still seems so crazy to me - especially since my decision to end up going was not only last minute, but also pure coincidence!

Yara Al-Jitan's Unique Semester Abroad at Colchester, England

Yara Al-Jitan

When Yara Al-Jitan landed in Colchester, England, for her Fall 2019 study abroad at the University of Essex, it wasn't quite what she expected. Colchester was extremely different from the UAE; it's a small, quaint town populated with tiny houses and no buildings. But Yara soon began to realize that she didn't need to be in a bustling city to have a great study abroad experience.

Yara, an international relations major, had her concerns before she left for her study abroad: "I was so scared, because I knew I’d have to leave my family and my friends and be on my own. It was [also] kind of exciting, but honestly, the thought of being away from my little brother for so long - super scary! So I just tried to block that thought out, and it worked! I think I’d give that piece of advice: don’t think about it too much."

She also had some expectations for her semester abroad. Yara says she had an image of study abroad from movies, websites and pictures - that it would be fast-paced and chock-full of experiencing new things and going to glamorous places.

However, Colchester was a different type of study abroad destination. "I feel like it was good because I slowly started to realize that I don’t have to do that to have a good study abroad experience. There's so much more I could do. So I used that time to just sit down and reflect on my own, and as surprising as it sounds, I reconnected with my religion, my people, and myself. I think I’ve also become a lot more independent. I grew a lot, I’ve learned so much, and I’m just able to handle myself no matter what's thrown at me."

The University of Essex also has a lot of historic and cultural importance, which made it fascinating to the international relations major. "The university was a space for minorities to speak up. Nelson Mandela once visited there. It was really nice to be there, because you can feel how politically active everyone is," she said. "I was able to open dialogues and talk openly and constructively about issues that are very important to me as an international relations major. It helped me understand what I want to do and where I want to go in the future."

Yara concludes that the best part of her experience was the personal growth she experienced. To any prospective study abroad students, she says, "Just go on your own terms, have no expectations, and make of it everything you can. It doesn't have to be what other people say it has to be."


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist

Shahid Shamshu, Graduate Student at Texas A&M University and Former IXO Peer Advisor

Shahid Shamshu

Shahid Shamshu is our former Peer Advisor who graduated from AUS in Spring 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Since then, he has become a graduate student at Texas A&M University, TX, USA. According to Shahid, his Fall 2012 study abroad has helped him in his graduate school application, in professional settings, and in his personal life.

Shahid studied abroad at North Carolina State University, NC, USA, and this experience helped him develop mentally and personally: “Having grown up in the Middle East and not really travelled much earlier, my study abroad experience left a huge impact on my personal life. It was a major step outside my comfort zone and exposed me to people from different cultures. This really helped me explore my independence, develop a broader mindset and increase my confidence."

His study abroad has also helped him in interviews. "Having a study abroad experience on my LinkedIn/résumé has always been a great conversation starter in a lot of professional settings like interviews or networking events," he said. "People are always interested in learning more about your study abroad experience."

Additionally, Shahid gained professional skills from his study abroad. "I think some of the skills that my employer values that I’ve gained from my study abroad experience would be the ability to work well in a team setting with different people from different backgrounds."

Another pro of his study abroad was having it on his résumé when he applied for graduate school: "I do believe it gave my graduate school application a push towards the right direction and it definitely took up a good chunk of my statement of purpose in the application."

"I think the biggest and most significant gain [from my study abroad] would be the exposure to different people and cultures, which in turn makes a person more open-minded," he said. "Additionally, it is a huge step out of one's comfort zone, which is very essential for the growth of a person on all fronts."


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist