How will COVID-19 change your study in USA plans?

With a major hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, each of us are wondering about its after effects. Naturally, there is panic all around amongst the students as well as the institutions regarding the continuity of the students’ education plans. Multiple nations across the globe have temporarily closed their universities in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19. To handle the current public health and not to alter the functioning of the institutions, universities are delivering education on a digital platform.

While this pandemic is affecting over 90% of the world’s student population, every institution in the USA is making every effort by providing flexible options such as extensions for tuition deposit, providing soft copy of I-20, deferrals as well as willing to enroll students in online semesters so as to ensure students dream to study abroad come true. Amidst the challenge of temporary closure, universities and colleges are dedicating all of their time and effort to bring about innovative plans and practices to adapt themselves to this unprecedented event.

What changes can you expect in the education abroad after we emerge to normalcy from the COVID-19 pandemic?

1. Online Learning: There have been multiple institutions in the USA offering an online learning platform well before this crisis hit the world. This crisis has made it essential for most of the institutions in the USA to come up with creative methodologies on a digital platform to deliver the course content, connect students learning from distant locations and assess their performance. Moreover, the universities have not only created course component videos of sites that would be experienced in person but also have converted their summer 2020 programs into virtual internships with a host company located abroad. Although virtual education sometimes cannot substitute the experience of learning in person but can surely be a structured method to avoid postponing a student’s plan to begin the education abroad.  

2. Faculty’s Initiative towards Curriculum: The highly eminent faculty at institutions in the USA play a crucial role in attracting the students to study abroad. To continue providing world-class education through the digital platform, the faculty has been working diligently to amass the cultural diversity and experiential learning for putting their best foot forward to create the novel definition of “Education Abroad”. The universities in the USA are collaborating with their partners abroad to ensure the students’ engagement in this virtual initiative and enhancing the course subject matter to meet the high standards of classroom education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only redesigned the education system across the globe but has also redefined the connectivity of the world beyond its borders. The lasting effect of this pandemic would still demand for social distancing and the institutions would make every possible effort to eliminate any hurdle in imparting education to its prospective students.   

Sanjana Sanzgiri

Sr. Counselor

Imperial Overseas Education Consultants