Life Away from Home
Can Homesickness be Good for You?
By Paula Concepcion
I remember watching the mid-day news near the end of August as they covered move-in day at the various UBC residences. I remember seeing the students entering their rooms for the first time, all their luggage in tow, knowing full well that soon, a new journey would begin for them. Their rooms would become their home away from home. Students were interviewed; some showed nerves about starting university and being away from home for the first time, and some were excited about their new life away from home.
It is worth asking whether being far away from home helps or hinders a student’s adjustment to university or college life. Often we crave that sense of independence but at the same time, part of us still loves being home and being close to our families. I experienced the nerves of entering university as a freshman and not knowing anyone, and having never experienced being away from my family for an extended period of time. I had always lived with my parents, and enjoyed the joy and comfort of knowing that I would always return home after a long day at school and work.
In a 2009 paper and correlational study that examined the relationship between parental attachment and the psychological functioning and adjustment of students, specifically freshmen. Marnie Hiester et al. aimed to study the continuity and change in the quality of a student’s parental attachment during the first semester of his or her university life. They argued that in the first semester, parents and children “may have to renegotiate their relationship” in response to the new situation: university life. The authors point out that the Attachment Theory shows that having a secure attachment with one’s parents leads to positive adaptations. In addition, they quoted an earlier study by Kenny (1987), which stated that students with a secure attachment to their parents should be expected to respond “independently and adaptively to college life”, while at the same time seeking the guidance and support from their parents when they need it. The authors asked whether parental relationships remain stable, or change— especially during the first semester of their first year at university. They speculated that there would be a gender difference, based on previous studies showing that women “value intimacy and support in relationships” while men “value independence and autonomous problem solving”.
The study looked at 3 dimensions: perceived self-confidence, psychological distress and college adjustment among 488 college students. They had taken samples from a small college and a branch of a well-known public university, and asked students to answer a self-report measure during the second week of the first term, and again at the eleventh week of the term. The authors noted that only 66% of their original sample also completed the self-report measure at the eleventh week. They had used several measures, one measuring the security of attachment to their parents, and one each for the three dimensions. What they had found is that there are no significant differences between genders in average attachment. However, they also found that there was a decrease in attachment among males by the eleventh week. They also found that there was an effect on the gender and where they lived, such that males who were living at home showed average declines in attachment. Overall, they found that a higher attachment security led to positive experiences for both men and women.
While the study had its limitations, such as its being a correlational study, having a small sample of men living at home, and not having any parental input, what we can take away is that moving away from home and adjusting to a whole new life at university can be a positive experience. Yes, there will be periods of homesickness, and wanting to go home, but with the technology we have today, it’s much easier for us to keep in touch with our parents and our families even if we are apart. You are able to get a taste of independence, knowing that your family is just a call or a text away.
So if ever you’re feeling a little down, homesick, or stressed as midterm season approaches, find comfort in the fact that there is scientific evidence supporting the fact that your away from home schooling experience can be a positive one for you!
Reference
Hiester, M., Nordstrom, A., & Swenson, L.M. (2009). Stability and change in parental attachment and adjustment outcomes during the first semester transition to college life. Journal of College Student Development, 50(5), 521-538.
Psyched! 