Philippine E-Journals

College Students’ Homesickness: An Interpretative Phenomenology

Glenda Baisac | Shella Mae Berongan | Mira Bandajon | Cyril Cabello

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

One of the most significant challenges that college students face, especially those going away from home to pursue college for the first time, is homesickness. Students who experience homesickness have trouble concentrating and adjusting to college setting, lonely, shy, confused were led to decrease in academic performance. Multiple studies provided the effects of homesickness to college students but less focused on the extent effects of homesickness to the college students’ attitude towards school. This study aimed to gather information based on the real experiences of the participants regarding homesickness and elaborates the effect of this phenomenon to the life of college students. This study utilized a purposive sampling technique wherein participants were interviewed to further explain and share their lived experiences about homesickness. The participants in this study were 8 selected college students coming from Cebu Technological University, Ginatilan Extension Campus, Ginatilan, Cebu. Their lived experiences were analyzed using Heideggerian Phenomenology analysis. After analyzing the data gathered, the researchers of this study come up to three themes - The Critical, The Comfort Zone and The Constant Communication. The researchers from this study concluded that the life of a student away from home or their loved ones is quite a struggle since several adjustments has to be done in order to survive in the new situation, they are in. This study helps in understanding why some college students are homesick and became very emotional when faced in a difficult situation. Teachers, parents, and students should be sensitive enough to understand the homesick students’ challenges and tribulations they are facing in their college life.