With a welcome transition into the holiday season and winter break fast approaching, the thought of home has begun to spread around the SSFS Dormitory. Four months into the school year, international students have had enough time to accustom themselves to SSFS life and yet,  enough time to still remember the comfort of their hometowns. As a second year dorm student myself, I am no stranger to the familiar homesickness that seeps its way into our lives around this time of year and how stressful and lonely it can seem to students. Thankfully, dorm staff puts in immense effort to provide their students with a sense of belonging as close to home as they possibly can. Although their efforts are much appreciated, nothing will ever come close to home.

Upon discovering a recurring trend of homesickness throughout the years, I decided to interview my fellow peers to investigate how they are coping with the distance. New students Sayaka Saito ‘20 and Jessy Lee ‘21 stated that they have not experienced extreme homesickness just yet but still keep in contact with their family and friends. In contrast, Elly Kang ‘20, an international student who joined the SSFS community during the second semester of the 2016-2017 academic year, mentioned how she misses everything about home. New student Muhammed Baldeh (grade 11) agreed with Elly, stating,“Because it is December, my homesick level is about a 7 out of 10. I miss the culture, the people, the beach and especially my friends.” As new SSFS students, Elly and Muhammed agreed that even though they like their new school, they still miss their homes.

Many students found new means of connecting to their culture. Despite the time difference, all of the  students I interviewed believe that technology has played an important role in connecting them to their friends and family at home. With our diverse student body, some dorm students have found that sense of home within their new friends. Senior Alice Wang remarked, “If you look outside, there are Chinese people on campus.” Other interviewees resonated with what she said, coming to a consensus that the diversity in the student body links people from the same cultures, providing them with common ground and more importantly, a piece of home away from home.