By Katie Debenedetti, The Aggie 

"Li explains the ups and downs of participating in online school in a different time zone

Adjusting to online classes has been challenging for every student, but international students who are living outside of the country have faced a completely different set of challenges. Time zone changes, exam times and COVID-19 rules have affected students residing in different countries, like Jennifer Li, a first-year undeclared student who has been living in Singapore throughout the pandemic. 

Li, who grew up shifting between Singapore and Los Angeles, began her time at UC Davis from her childhood bedroom, almost 10,000 miles away from the university. Besides being a freshman at a new school, she said that the 16-hour time difference between Singapore and California is challenging. 

“I think the time zones would be the biggest [challenge],” Li said. “Some of the lectures were still live, and I think the discussion sections are super helpful for some classes. I kind of missed out on that a little just because I wasn’t able to wake up at 3 a.m.”