With approximately two-thirds of the undergraduate population at the University hailing from Virginia by law, it is clear that the majority of students live within reasonable proximity to their families. Living close to home can have its perks. For instance, a college student at home may enjoy private laundry facilities, family birthdays and home-cooked meals.
Nevertheless, there are students at the University who do not have the option to go home on weekends, or even during shorter breaks. Almost five percent of current first-year students at the University are considered international students, according to Admissions Dean John Blackburn. He added that to be classified as an international student at the University, the individual has to be here on a student visa.
"Most of [the international students] are coming directly from other countries without their parents," Blackburn said.
Homesickness and separation can be much more significant for this group of students, since it is rarely feasible for most of them to return home during the semester. First-year international students are especially impacted by the vast separation between them and their families abroad.
First-year Architecture student Najwa Doughman left her family in Egypt to come to the University. Her first time seeing the University was during her summer orientation right before classes started. Doughman said her first impression of life here in Charlottesville is that it is simply different. From living in Cairo, Egypt, Doughman said she was accustomed to the bustle of city life and was a bit shocked by the calm and suburban atmosphere of Charlottesville.
"It's just a difference in lifestyle," Doughman said. "I'm getting used to it now."
Doughman recalled feeling upset when fellow students would complain about "having to go home" when she would have seized the opportunity to see her family, especially during her first months here. During shorter breaks, Doughman visited high school friends at different colleges, while for longer ones she has been able to go home. Joining organizations and forging friendships within them has also eased her feelings of separation, she said.
First-year Architecture student Shirin Reklaoui came to the University after having lived in Morocco for 15 years. While she does have some family in New York and Nevada, both of her parents and her little brother and sister live in Morocco.
Reklaoui said she wanted to go home during last semester's reading day, especially when the majority of students left. There were even times during the current semester when Reklaoui said she thought about how nice it would be to able to go home easily during stressful times. Further, studying such a substantial distance fromher home, it really hurts her that she has to miss most of the activities her little brother and sister participate in, such as concerts, Reklaoui said.
"I miss home even more," Reklaoui said, noting the active presence she has in her siblings' lives when she is home.
While some students have their entire families overseas, others have one parent abroad and another in the United States Parental separation can add further complications to the issue at large. Not only are these students far away from their families, but they also must deal with the impact of one parent being just as far from his or her spouse.
First-year Engineering student Davis Nzabanita presently visits his mother and sister at home in Virginia while his father lives and works in Egypt, where the entire family lived for two years prior to his coming to the University.
Having moved many times during his childhood, Nzabanita said he wasn't affected too much by the separation when he started college. As soon as he moved here for his last year of high school with his mother and sister, it became less about separation from his father and more about being a new student in a new culture.
The "downside to moving is [that my] parents aren't together," Nzabanita said.
Calling his mother "the center of the family," Nzabanita said it bothers him that she is frequently alone. While his parents' separation is hard to deal with, he does get to see his family, including two other sisters, together during longer breaks and holidays.
"Coming to U.Va., my way of coping with the separation is to make that second family with AVP [The Academical Village People]," Nzabanita said. "They're my family away from home."
While some students find life at college difficult when their families live in a completely different country, others view the separation differently.
First-year College student Ritika Rodrigues lived with her family in India for 17 years before moving to Virginia for her senior year of high school and ultimately college.
"Sometimes being apart from my parents makes me like them more," Rodrigues said. "This works out."
Because she keeps in touch through e-mail, "there's not really a separation," Rodrigues said.
Also, having her aunts, uncles, cousins and grandmother here with her lessens the impact of living so far from her parents.
Idil Tumer and Sandra Peso, both first years in the College, left their families in Turkey to come to the University. Both Tumer and Peso described their moves to the United States as an opportunity to discover new and amazing places.
"Instead of missing my family, I explore," Tumer said.
While many out-of-state students who come to the University feel as though Charlottesville offers essentially the same cultural experience for everyone, Tumer and Peso said just going to the Downtown Mall is an exciting experience for them. Since all aspects of life here in Charlottesville are new and exciting for Tumer and Peso, going home is not something they dwell upon. However, both said they do miss their familiar culture at times.
If someone does go home for a shorter period of time they "miss it more because [they] want to get more," Tumer said.
Whether these students join organizations, develop strong ties with friends, enjoy the distance from their families or use this time to explore an entirely foreign culture, they say the separation they endure is another enriching and unique aspect contributing to their personal development.
"You have to adapt," Tumer said. "If [home is] something you really miss, it's better not to go for a week [but instead to] discover new places."
Read More
How study abroad taught me to stop studying
By Grace Scott | 4 hours agoTurns out, it took attending one of the most prestigious universities in the world for me to realize there's more to life than studying.
Collyn Clark reflects on Space Workforce 2030, building an inclusive space industry
By Carly Stender | YesterdayClark said programs such as the SWF 2030 internship can serve as launch pads for a career in the aerospace industry.
The White Spot: an iconic diner etched in student nightlife
By Alexa Graham | 2 days agoThe White Spot is a timeless diner for Charlottesville residents and students looking for a greasy spoon infused with University spirit.
