We all knew it was coming, but it still managed to take us by surprise. With the general stresses of a third year student, the impending chaos swept everyone away.

I live in a house with all international students, so the conversation was constant about Covid-19, and much panic was caused. With social media blowing up and students complaining and petitioning for the university to close, so much uncertainty was around as what was going to happen in the coming days.

Overnight the panic increased, an upheaval of every international student wondering what to do and fleeing as quickly as possible.

First of all, the 1st Year’s parents started booking them home and they all left. I discussed with my parents and we decided to wait until we knew what Oxford Brookes would be doing. I wrote to my lecturers and supervisors as to what they suggested.

We were all in the house when Brookes sent the email confirming the University would stop all face to face lectures. Two cases were confirmed at the university.

Suddenly we had our last day at uni, we had attended our last lecture and we never even realised. Our email inboxes flooded with emails from lecturers and societies. Facebook events we had all looked forward to as our last time, were “postponed”, and even more distressing- Graduation, “postponed”.

I may not be in the demographic worst effected by Covid 19 in terms of health, however the virus has affected my mental health in various ways! Many frantic calls were made to my parents in order to help decide on of the hardest decisions being, do I fly back home to Zimbabwe to be with my family, or stay in the UK?

My parents took the decision to book me home and I was booked for Friday 20th March on South African Airways. On Wednesday evening some of the students were at the airport and were turned away. South Africa had stopped allowing transit passengers through their airports with absolutely no notice. People stranded everywhere.
Obviously, all of us remaining students went into complete panic with numerous tearful calls to our parents about what to do.

We looked at booking new flights and all of the rest of the house have booked for Sunday 22nd March through Kenya Airways via Nairobi, however the airlines were charging absurd amounts for a one way flight, charging up to £2000.

At the same time, I had the most incredible offer from a friend of mine on the same course at Brookes to go and stay with her family in Leicestershire. My friend and her mother phoned my parents in Zimbabwe to confirm this very generous and kind offer. My parents were blown away that somebody would be prepared to do this for their daughter.

So, what to do? My parents and I had to make one of the most difficult decisions in my life. All my Zimbabwe friends were talking about ‘going home’ and I was lost as to what was the best decision for me in the situation. We spoke to the Travel Agent and she then announced that South Africa had now closed their airports even to their own residents.

After considerable soul searching and some very emotional calls with my parents, I decided to stay in the UK and take up the offer to go to Leicestershire.

One of the hardest things was saying goodbye to all my housemates, not knowing when I will see them again, not just those living in Zimbabwe but in Mauritius, Kenya and Zambia as well. There was no closure to this chapter of our lives. No time to celebrate our degree, say our goodbyes.

After seeing everyone go home and be with their families, with the airports shutting there is such a hopeless feeling, so much uncertainty.

What is to come after all of this, what further chaos will Covid-19 cause?