Research shows that up to 70 percent of students experience
homesickness when they first start college. I couldn’t find a statistic for how many students experience
homesickness when they arrive in another country to study abroad, but I’m sure
that it is a much higher number.
Starting college for the first time is it’s own kind of culture shock. You are somewhat living on your own,
you have a school workload that you aren’t used to, you have to adjust to
living with a roommate, and you have to worry about making new friends. It’s a lot of stress. Now add traveling to a country you have
never been to before, and you will most likely end up a nervous wreck.
I
am usually a calm and composed person, and I consider myself to be pretty
flexible. Traveling has definitely
helped transform me into a more flexible person. When I was sixteen I went on a mission trip to India with my
grandmother and two other women. I
was unbelievably excited for the trip, but when I arrived and the unimaginable
heat and stink and noise of the city of Delhi hit me, it felt like I was on
another planet. I remember lying
awake that first night in Delhi and crying because I just wanted to go home. However, I got over it and was able to
have an amazing two weeks that changed my life and my perspective.
While
I did not cry on my first night in London, I did lay awake that first night and
completely stressed out about all of the new things that I experienced in my first
day of being there. I have
virtually no sense of direction, so I was terrified that I would get lost if I ventured
outside of my apartment. I didn’t
have Internet for the first week so I was pretty much starved of any contact
with my family. I never had to
cook for myself before, and I had no idea where to start. On the first trip to the grocery store I
bought some grapes, bread, cheese, and a few prepackaged meals. Not a great start.
I
learned to adapt to these changes; it just took time. That is the best advice I can give to those who are
experiencing culture shock and homesickness. Another is just getting out of your apartment and exploring
the country you live in. You will
be amazed at how much you will come to love the country and actually feel homesick
for it when you come back home.
Sources:
www2.warkwick.ac.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment