Photo by Ali Meizels ‘23
By Aditi Parashar ’22
Staff Writer
The spring semester saw Mount Holyoke College open up its campus for almost 60 percent of its student population, a move that prompted many students to make the journey back to South Hadley. Among this group were numerous international students, who chose to return to campus for stability in the online learning environment, a closer connection to campus and academic reasons, among others.
The difference in time zones when living at home helped influence some students, such as Sohini Bhatia ’23. “Tanzania is eight hours ahead of the U.S. The time zones were just not working out. My fall classes were between 3 p.m. and 12 a.m. my local time. However, [if I had] any class later in EST, I would have to stay up later directly limiting the number of classes I could take and messing with the routine and schedule I had to set up for myself,” Bhatia explained.
Being in the same time zone has the added benefit of “stability and … a level of independence [and] focus that was severely missing back home,” Hareem Khan ’22, a student from Pakistan, said.
While time zones were a prominent reason to return to campus for many international students, there were other logistical reasons why many decided that living on campus was the right choice for them. Saee Chitale ’22, a student from India, had other reasons for returning to Mount Holyoke. Chitale’s main motivation “was the fact that labs will be accessible soon,” she said.
“As a neuroscience major who hopes to do a thesis next year, it is very important for me to have the required exposure to the practical aspect of my discipline as well as face time with my professors for me to be able to make an informed decision when it comes to my thesis topic,” Chitale explained.
For Nicole Lutalo ’24, a first-year student from Uganda, the decision to move to campus meant dealing with the concerns of parents. “In the beginning, my mom was a little hesitant for me to come back, but she came around eventually,” Lutalo said. “Once campus quarantine ends, I’m excited to be able to meet some people at least and enjoy the gym and library, even with their restrictions.”