Homesickness, Self-Esteem, and College Adjustment among Students Living in Hostels

Abstract

The current study investigated the relationship between homesickness, self-esteem, and college adjustment in students living in hostels. A Correlational research design was employed and a sample of N=300 undergraduates and postgraduate students living in hostels were selected with an age range of 16-25 years (M_age = 22.15, SD=1.83) using a non-probability purposive sampling strategy. The measures included a Demographic sheet, Homesickness Questionnaire (HQ), Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES), and College Adjustment Test (CAT). To assess the relationship between homesickness, self-esteem, and college adjustment: Pearson Product Moment Correlation, Multiple Hierarchical Linear Regression, and Independent sample t-test were run. The results showed that one subscale of homesickness i.e. attachment to old home had a significant negative relationship with self-esteem and positive affect (subscale of college adjustment). Findings showed that there was a strong significantly positive relationship between disliking the new place (subscale of homesickness) and negative affect (one subscale of college adjustment) in students living in hostels. Overall, two subscales of homesickness i.e. attachment to the old home and dislike of the new place are significant negative predictors of college adjustment. Moreover, self-esteem was a significant positive predictor of college adjustment in students. Findings have implications for future comparative research direction on students.