Daphne Ling—a Ph.D. student in neuroscience at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada—has remained on campus in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. She lives in a university residence and has been working from there, trying to write two manuscripts. But her efforts to remain productive have “failed abysmally because my thoughts are preoccupied with everything else,” she says. “Most of my time right now is spent worrying about my family, friends, and professors and day-to-day practical concerns.”
Ling is a Malaysian citizen, and it’s been especially hard for her to be a continent away from her parents and younger brother. After UBC shut down, Ling contemplated flying to Malaysia to be with them, but she decided against it because she didn’t want to risk coming into contact with the novel coronavirus during her travels and bringing it home with her. The thought of “quarantining myself with my older parents—they both have preexisting conditions—is scary,” she says.
In the midst of all the stress and worry, one bright spot for Ling has been the support she’s received from people around her in Vancouver. “My supervisor has been fantastic,” says Ling. “When she heard that my residence shut down [access to] our stoves and ovens, she offered to bring over a hot plate and some food. My classmates with cars also offered to do grocery runs.” On top of that, Ling has been astounded by all the new social channels and events that allow her to connect virtually with other people living at her university residence. “As an introvert, I have honestly been a little overwhelmed by all this connecting,” she says. But “I’m not obligated to do all or any of them, so I can pick and choose.”
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