The Filipino family experiences fellow feeling or being involved in family

matters. What happens to one happens to all. The family members experience as “we”

not as separate individuals. This is an affirmation of family ties (Panopio&Rolda 2000).

This will prove some difficulties later when parents send their children to school most

especially to a university that is far from home. To Filipino parents, a university degree

is a more lasting inheritance than any property they could possibly give to their children.

You will never lose it, they say. The price of finishing a college education is probably

highest in our culture, especially among families that are financially challenged. Thus, it

is expected parents wanting their children to enter pre-school and complete at least a

bachelor degree. It is easier said than done because as children start to embark their

life in the academe, they are usually unprepared of what endeavors they would likely to

face after high school graduation and what life awaits them as they eagerly enter the

university. They will be faced with many challenges but the most highlighting among

them is the transition process where their level of adaptation with regards to their

personality, intellects and social aspect is really put to test.

The first year of college is an important time for students in creating the

foundation of their subsequent experiences. The transition process that possibly begins

even before the start of the semester brought a paramount changes for an individual

who recently graduated from high school and decided to enter university. This process

involves breaking old routines to adjust the demands of the new environment including

new social, intellectual challenges. Students need to cope up with new lifestyle of their

residential and academic aspects as well as being away from the familiar and secure
features of the previous environment. As a result, they will experience strain, state of

grief, depressed mood, preoccupation with home and higher absentmindedness that are

more likely to affect their coping with academic work and reduced their satisfaction with

aspects of the current environment and social contacts (Stahols et al 1983). The losing

of a familiar environment and warmth of home triggers the phenomenon of

“homesickness” which is an adverse reaction.

Homesickness as defined by Fisher and Hood (1987) is a complex

cognitive-motivational state concerned with grieving for, yearning and being

preoccupied with thoughts of home. Fisher (1988) collected comments describing

homesickness made in diaries and letters by boarding school pupils, student nurses,

university students and a former soldier. They all revealed a sense of loneliness,

depression, emotional distress and a preoccupation with a longing for home. In a similar

study obtained by Baier and Welch, (1992); Eurelings Bontekoe, Vingerhoets and

Fontijn, (1994), Fisher, (1989), states that all people around the world regardless of age,

gender and race have experience being homesick. Generally, homesick children and

students miss their parents and family, friends and other familiar persons, their familiar

surroundings at home comforts and they feel extremely insecure. In a findings

emphasized by Brewin et al (1989), suggest that homesickness as a potentially

important phenomenon that may exercise a considerable influence on academic

performance at least in the short term. Further, Van Tilburg et al (1996) emphasized the

need for further examination of cultural differences. In the study of Stroebe, van Vliet,
Hewstone and Villis; they found out that UK students reported more intense

homesickness than the Netherlands students.

According to studies being homesick, can be determined by many factors.

An early study by Fisher, Murray, and Frazer (1985) showed that homesickness was

predicted by lower levels of responsibility for the decision to make the educational

transition, and greater geographical distance from home. Experience as a factor said

that previous experienced away from home can be a predictor of homesickness. If an

individual before fully living independently has not experience being away from home

over even for a little time, he or she then is more prone to being homesick. Negative

impressions and low expectations for a new environment of an individual strongly affect

the occurrence of homesickness. The attitude of a student towards the university or a

new environment he or she dwells on can be self-fulfilling prophecy. If a person thinks

that he/she will suffer from the separation, then he or she will let situations lead him or

her to that experience. Fisher (1989) found that introversion, depression and obsession

are related to homesickness. Furthermore, Eurelings-Bontekoe et al (1994) found

higher levels of introversion, rigidity and negativism and lower levels of dominance

among homesick conscripts. But the most important factors are attachment and family.

An insecure attachment relationship with primary caregivers basically causes the

separation more stressful. In relation to family cohesiveness, it is likely that the more

cohesive a family is, the greater the level of homesickness a person would experience.

According to Brewin, Frenham and Howes (1989), dependency on others is a significant

predictor of homesickness. So it follows that the children will suffer more from
separation because of their great dependency on others. Studies have found the

relationship between homesickness and greater number of cognitive failures, poor

concentration, handing in work late, decrements in work quality and higher scores on

anxiety and depression (Burt 1993).

The researchers would like to explore and study the impact of

homesickness hoping it could contribute to the following:

●To educators most especially university instructors that the findings of this research

will enable them to understand what is being experienced by freshmen student, Thus,

they may adapt appropriate teaching styles that consider the needs of freshmen

students. Also, they may look for alternative solutions that help students cope with their

anxieties that are triggered by homesickness.

●To the educational institutions that caters the academic and social endeavors of

individuals, that the research findings will let them be aware of the environment they

created to be a haven for the pursuers of academic and social success. So that, they

may be aware of how students thrive in such environment concerning their academic

performance. Thus, they may plan programs and activities that may lessen or help

students overcome the feeling of homesickness.

●To the university freshmen in different schools that the findings of this research will

help them to understand what they are experiencing, Thus, they may accept and

understand their weaknesses and strengths that will help them deal with homesickness.
So that, in meeting the demands of their studies they will be successful in handling them

to ensure their growth and development.

●To the researchers themselves, that as a Psychology student they may be able to

share their knowledge and understanding about homesickness. As student, they are

aware of the experiences of their fellow students because of that, it is imperative for

them to lend their help. Through this study, they may help those in authority to further

be sensitive to the experiences of students.