the transition to university life
takes longer than others and in this period
homesickness can emerge as a yearning for
the familiar environment, for what is safe and
secure. Most often it is focussed on the loss of
family and friends, but it is also about the loss
of places and routines. Those who experience
homesickness may find they feel depressed and/
or anxious, that they have obsessive thoughts
and minor physical ailments. This is different
from depression, itself, where sufferers feel
negatively about both university and home; in
homesickness home is usually seen in rosetinted
hues. Research on homesickness amongst
British university students shows that 35% of
new students experience some homesickness,
and that between 5% and 15% describe the
experience as frightening: a few will go on to
develop depression.