Studying Abroad During an Epidemic, Official Yelp Review

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been dreaming about studying abroad since you were probably in middle school. My whole life I have listened to the great travels of my grandmother and looked to her as my inspiration for becoming, and even wanting to become, a seasoned world traveller. When the time came at NYU to decide where I could locate myself for my major while also giving myself a proper study abroad experience, it was only fitting that I chose somewhere in Europe. Flash forward to January, I’m moving to Paris! You can’t even fathom the excitement and the anticipation that I felt on that plane. I was already envisioning weekends in Spain, Budapest, Amsterdam, Berlin, Ireland, the likes. For someone who’s about 85% Irish, you’d think maybe I had better luck. I don’t. This entire article is going to really badger that into your head.

My name’s Lauren and I am currently studying abroad during the COVID-19 epidemic in Paris, France. I just had to pause writing and sit for a couple seconds, realizing how unfortunate that sentence is, because really it isn’t pretty; it’s unsettling. Studying abroad on its own is already something extremely challenging for any person between the ages of 18 and 22. Mix in a language barrier, a new area, a new routine, and a different type of community around you. You’re essentially uprooting yourself and putting down roots in a place that doesn’t necessarily have space for you to put them down. That’s not saying that these places are small, it’s to say that when you come and study abroad, you are the outsider. It’s an extremely invigorating feeling, seeing as being an American gives me a lot of privileges in my own home country. Now, if that’s not spicy enough for you, it’s simple, just add an epidemic on top and you’ll be sure to have a proper mental breakdown. 

In all seriousness, I’m lucky to report that aside from drastically hindering travel plans, the coronavirus hasn’t been extremely scary. The only thing that really incites fear or anxiety in me in regards to this epidemic is the mere thought of being sent home by the French government and having to continue online classes not in New York, but back in Pennsylvania. So, what I really want to talk about with this experience thus far, is the impact that mass media has on the epidemic’s presence and prevalence while studying abroad. 

So, mass media, guys. Let’s get into the nitty gritty about mass media and the impact it can have on, well, the masses. It is in times like these where I am so grateful to have a constant stream of information at my fingertips, but in the same breath, I wish it didn’t exist. The biggest issue I’ve had thus far with the mass media is that the information is never going to be the same everywhere. It is impossible. Nothing ever matches up perfectly and succinctly in any country. However, the information, correct or not, is constantly being discussed on the news and therefore this infiltrates the NYU Paris building and my learning environment. Not to be rude, but the amount of 19-20 year old girls who listen to this news and then think they all of a sudden have obtained a medical degree is absurd. None of us know anything about this virus well enough to predict anything, so please, for the love of all that is good, stop talking about it every second of every day. How are we able to move forward and at least try and act like things are normal when Cassandra from CAS (not a real person, but an all-too real concept) won’t stop? Like, she just won’t stop. The mass media has made it hard to be around my own student body. 

The email NYU sent out to us recently in terms of whether or not it was safe to stay in Paris highlighted the “differing comfort levels” of students and faculty. I think it’s safe to say that in moments like these, people react differently than other people. Within days of hearing about the increase of cases, I went to a small and intimate concert in the 20th arrondissement. Some people won’t leave their dorms or have already decided to leave France early. The mass media does a very good job at taking something so serious and delicate and finding a very disturbing way to elicit fear amongst the public it’s addressing. While the COVID-19 epidemic is definitely something that warrants global concern and cooperation, some of the information is being misconstrued. The demographic of the NYU student body, i.e. 18-22 year olds, is barely affected by the virus. The mortality rate is only 2%, meaning there’s a 98% chance of survival if one contracts the virus. These are the facts straight from the CDC and as of right now, the French government hasn’t told NYU to evacuate us. So with all of this in mind, the mass media is still releasing articles with very unsettling and dramatic headlines that can often stray people from the reality of the situation. 

At this moment, however, I am trying very hard to be a positivist. I am usually a self-called realist, but my friends usually refer to me as “their favorite pessimist.” A lot of this article has been written out of emotion and fear, something I usually try not to admit. My issue with the mass media is the ease with which it has clouded my thoughts, rather than facts. I spend each of my days scrolling through Twitter or Facebook or Safari looking for the newest updates and these articles are scary, but alluring. So, I get stuck in this wormhole of information when I should be looking at the French government’s website, the CDC website, etc. Why am I turning to mass media when it’s always leaning in any direction but objective?

This is hard. Studying in New York gives you the mentality that you can handle anything and you can handle it gracefully and effortlessly. No one prepares you for this. Having the answers is something that faculty can’t provide students and we don’t know what to do or what to think. All we know is that this opportunity we’ve dreamed of is standing at the end of a cliff, bouncing on its toes, staring at us. We can’t help it from falling and we can’t go down with it. The reason I wanted to write this article is because as a student at NYU, I feel like we constantly have to fight to show that we have it all together. We feel the need to prove we have the answers, or at least, I feel that way. Studying abroad is wonderful, but having constant reminders from the media on your phone about the imminent threat to you, your experience, and your environment? Not so much.

In any case, I’m grateful to be under NYU’s supervision as this goes down. I feel very lucky to have the friends, professors, and administration that I do. None of it is perfect, but it does what any good experience in life should do: challenges you and strengthens you.