Homesickness

Homesickness is one of the most common adjustment problems related to culture shock and loneliness. Experienced by students from every country, homesickness is a universal side-affect to being away from home. Psychologists often refer to homesickness as "separation anxiety" because students-in particular those moving away from home-feel separated from all that is familiar.

Feelings of homesickness may even start before you leave to study overseas in and you may find yourself mildly depressed or anxious several weeks before leaving. The anticipation and preparation for this major change of lifestyle can trigger pre-departure homesickness, or sudden feelings that you don't want to leave, or even a want to back out of your decision to study overseas.

Some students might experience homesickness within the first few days or weeks of being overseas, while others might not be hit by homesickness until later on, or closer to the holidays. Holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, family events or even family illness or death can all cause you to feel homesick, or make you wish you were at home. Also, many students report increased feelings of homesickness during the winter months when darkness, rainy weather and the cold can lead to feelings of depression.

The following are a few tips to help you cope with feelings of homesickness:

Get involved by seeking out opportunities that keep you busy and occupied so that you won't think about home. Try to work, volunteer, or travel. You could also join a sports team or club, join a gym, or participate in other activities.

Don't wait for homesickness to go away by itself. Confront your feelings by talking to someone, preferably in your host country about your homesickness. This person could be your roommate, another student, a counsellor or a member of your host institution international department. Chances are that the other students at your host institution may be feeling the same way you are. You may be able to help each other deal with your homesickness.
Bring some of home along with you. Be sure to pack photos of family and friends, bring your favourite CDs and cook family recipes while overseas.
Make friends with locals and invite them to spend time with you. Creating such a support network can really help to alleviate homesickness while creating lasting friendships.
Be patient with yourself as you adjust to the unexpected realities of being overseas, and how your host country is not like home.
Stay active and try something new
Keep in touch with home ... but make new friends too!
Keep an open mind
Know that culture shock is normal

Student Strategies

• I made sure that I spoke to my Canadian friends about my home. They were all so interested and although it often made me nostalgic, I felt like I was teaching them about me, and it made me feel a lot better. Obviously, keeping in touch with family and friends through phone calls, emails, postcards and letters was invaluable. I also spent a lot of time looking at photos of Perth and Australia on the web. Just talk about it. Get it in the open. Then your friends will help you out.
  

• Well if you do get homesick, then it means you appreciate where you come from which is a good thing.
  

• The same things apply for dealing with culture shock; if you aren't out meeting people then you are in your room thinking about whatever everyone back home is doing. Remember that while you are away, nothing changes back home and that is usually the hardest part to deal with when you do finally arrive home, you've change but nothing else has.
  

• If you really do feel homesick, try to find another exchange student from Australia to hang out with as you will have many things in common with them, this will help to relieve much of the anxiety you will be feeling. If there aren't any Aussie exchange students, find another English speaking exchange student and hang out with them for a while. But don't forget about the locals, they're always the best to meet as it helps close that cultural gap you will be feeling. Other exchange students I talked with who went to non-English speaking countries suggested to make a sound effort to learn the local dialect. Many of them felt isolated even when they did hang out with the locals as they would talk in their natural tongue in groups. However when they really started learning the language (which I was told is so much easier when you are in the country) they had an absolute blast of a time and everyone responded really positively to them.