International students challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic in a university in the United States: A focus group study

Research suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has deeply impacted college students. However, very few studies have attended to the specific plight of  international students . The purpose of this study was to document challenges international students may have encountered while studying in the United States during the pandemic. Focus groups (N = 4; 13 students total) were conducted with students who were ≥ 18 years of age, enrolled at least part-time, on an F1 visa, and non-resident alien, who did not have parents/guardians living in the United States and were able to read and write in English. Focus groups lasted 1.5–2 h in duration and followed a standardized script. These sessions were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed. Two researchers performed qualitative content analysis. Six themes emerged from the analysis and included residency challenges, lifestyle changes, coping, negative affect, social support, and university structure. It appears that the challenges associated with residency and lifestyle directly impacted students’ negative affect. However, the remaining themes moderated this relationship. These findings highlight the role universities can play in providing relief to international students during these challenging times and suggest areas for improving their experiences.