A home away from home

By Tisa Urhioke

Content warning: this article mentions themes of mental health and depression

Do you remember your first night away from home, waiting to hear that familiar pitter-patter of your family’s footsteps but it never arrived? Sleeping in an unfamiliar room for the first time, in which you could not navigate in the dark? 

For many, their first instance of homesickness is in university, and roughly 50-70% of UK students feel homesick during their first few weeks. Oxford Languages defines homesickness as “experiencing a longing for one’s home during a period of absence from it.” However, homesickness does not only relate to familiar sounds, places, or family, but for some a deeper sense of cultural belonging. This can be seen in the lack of local cultural restaurants, stores, languages, traditions, and celebrated holidays. How many of you miss joking with your local chicken and chip shop owner, or haggling down the price for hair lotion at the hair shop?

Homesickness does not only relate to familiar sounds, places, or family, but for some a deeper sense of cultural belonging

In the UK, black students comprise 8% of the university population, which falls to under 4% in Russell Group universities. At universities with a college system such as Durham University, these students are further dispersed, which increasingly decreases their chances of connecting with peers from similar backgrounds. This can intensify cultural homesickness and isolation as fewer peers understand or share their cultural traditions, backgrounds, and experiences. Such circumstances can contribute to feelings of otherness and invisibility among the broader university community. 

Ignoring your culture is like staring into the mirror with a mask on and pretending that it is your face. Prolonged and extreme homesickness can cause symptoms similar to depression, such as frequent crying, sleeping problems, difficulty concentrating, and withdrawal from society. It can also cause physical symptoms like a lack of appetite, stomach problems, lack of sleep, headaches, and fatigue. This can be detrimental to both the physical and mental health of a student. 

To combat this isolation and alleviate cultural homesickness, it is important for students to join clubs and societies so that they can create a home away from home. At Durham, groups such as the Afro-Caribbean Society and Durham People of Colour Association can help increase engagement with peers who share similar experiences and provide that sense of belonging whilst offering further support. That friendly banter from home can be revived amongst new peers with more stories to tell. These connections not only help tackle cultural homesickness but also encourage students to maintain and perhaps improve ties to their cultural heritage. Events such as formal dinners, tea talks, balls, and sporting matches are a great way for students to interact with each other, forming friendships that will last for at least the duration of their studies. 

Ignoring your culture is like staring into the mirror with a mask on and pretending that it is your face

Participating in these events will also enable students to reconnect with their roots, boost their self-esteem, and provide them with vital emotional support, allowing them to share their experiences and challenges in a safe environment. It can also serve as a form of stress relief, giving students a break from academic pressures thus contributing to better mental health.

Additionally, societies frequently share academic resources and can offer students valuable networking opportunities, connecting them with mentors and programs that can provide academic and career advice. This collective space not only improves academic success but can create, as well as foster, an overall sense of community.

In conclusion, homesickness is a common experience for students who have just started university life, particularly for those who come from culturally diverse backgrounds. With it, feelings of isolation and alienation may arise due to lack of representation. However, it is important to note that these feelings are shared and understood by countless others who may not share the same residence but rather the same heritage. By joining and participating in societies, students can discover a community in university where they belong and can find support from people who are just like them. Through cultural celebration and the sharing of resources, students can foster not only their mental well-being but academic success. Homesickness might be a part of the university experience for most, but it does not have to be faced alone. Please reach out to those around you, and form connections so that you can get the most out of your university experience and hopefully create a home away from home.

Illustration: Victoria Cheng