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Abstract

The present study investigated the relationship between homesickness and hostility among hostel students. The specific aims were to explore the impact of family and familiar environmental separation on emotional well-being and relational behaviour in a boarding school environment. On the basis of interviews carried out with seven students aged 15-30, it was found that they were able to discuss their experiences of being emotionally close, coping strategies and intergroup challenges experience by students away from home. The results suggest that for some students, having strong family connections may make homesickness more intense, occasionally expressed as irritability or conflict with roommates. Coping strategies like calling family, speaking with friends, listening to music or doing personal things served to buffer these effects. Some students adapted to it and seemed to have more emotional stability but others remained lonely with slight hostility. The implications of these findings are that homesickness has a strong effect on both social interactions and emotional adjustment in the hostel for students away from home, hence need for support systems and practical coping strategies.