Tongan students overseas adapt to CoViD-19 restrictions [1]
Tuesday, June 2, 2020 - 17:27
Around eighty Tongan students studying in Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and Australia under the Australia Awards Scholarships have had to adjust their normal study routine due to CoViD-19 restrictions.
Students have had to cope with inconsistent internet, extra assignments to replace class activities, and sharing laptops with their children, causing delays in communicating with lecturers and course coordinators.
The students are studying for certificates, diplomas, bachelor degrees, Masters and PhDs.
Lupe Vaka’uta who is studying a Bachelor of Engineering at the University of the South Pacific campus in Suva, Fiji has struggled to complete group assignments due to curfews and social distancing restrictions. However, she is finding ways around these obstacles with the help of technology and her fellow students.
“Having friends helps me, personally, cope,” she said. “We encourage each other to keep us motivated, because now that we no longer have classes to attend, we tend to relax a bit but we are mindful of due dates and tests and exams.”
In Australia, Hehea Tukuafu Vaioleti juggles studying at the University of Adelaide and caring for her two young children with the help of her husband.
She has faced slow internet connections, her laptop crashing prior to an assignment falling due, and her young children “distracting me every 5 minutes.”
“Regardless of the challenges faced through COVID-19, there has been an amazing support system.”
Hehea has received mentoring through the Australian Government’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, as well as support from the University of Adelaide including food vouchers, family support, internet, computer, and rent assistance.
“[This] has helped me realize that success requires collaboration and a positive mindset to achieve anything regardless of the situation.”
In Sydney, Mele Inu Filise who is studying at the University of Technology, has learned from the CoViD-19 situation and urges students to appreciate what they have because they don’t know what will happen tomorrow.
“We just have to have faith and persistence just as our studies. There will never be a No, there will always be a way for circumstances to work but we just have to sit, think, evaluate, and put forward a strategy,” she said.
“Almost nothing works on the first try, but we just have to keep reflecting and focus, then try again.”