Boarding home away from home

CEBU, Philippines - Many college students living away from home and closer to their schools would arrive at their rented rooms, exhausted and starving. But there is no mother cooking their favorite dish in the kitchen, no father to ask how classes were, and no siblings or cousins to greet them with noise and hugs.

This scenario is part of the adjustment process of many college students who have opted to study far from their home in the provinces. A daily dose of this can add to the homesickness. But many students stood up against sad emotions for four years or so, just to complete their college studies on a practical budget.

Kassandra Clarito, 18, from Leyte and studying at St. Theresa's College (STC), is one of them.

"I hate it when I'm afraid and there is no one I can run to," she shared. "There are times when I could not concentrate on my studies because I always think of my family. It was so hard for me before, especially when I eat, sleep, and wake up every morning alone. I've never felt so lonely in my entire life until I entered college."

Saharah Cabanog, 18, from Barili, Cebu and studying at Cebu Normal University is also suffering from homesickness for living in a boarding house.

"I hate the feeling of being away from my family and when there comes a time when I have a problem, I don't have someone to talk to," she said.

For her part, Loraine Emia, 21, from Samboan, Cebu and studying at Salazar College of Science and Institute of Technology, learned how to survive financially.

"The money management was part of the difficult adjustment period I had because I used to depend a lot on my parents to handle my allowance for me," she recalled, saying most of her weekly budget goes to food.

These three ladies also shared that it was a mutual decision between them and their parents to live in a boarding house.

According to Rodita Saplad, 51, a parent whose daughter rents a room near her school, living in boarding homes is the most practical thing to do. It helps save money and travel time.

"Well, at least she can be independent and she will finally learn how to budget her allowance," she said.

Saplad also said that although she always gets paranoid about her daughter's safety, she was still able to deal with it through regular communication.

Despite the homesickness, living in boarding homes also presents some advantages. Clarito is able to prove that she can live independently and safely; Cabanog is able to maximize her time for studying rather than traveling; and Emia is able to socialize with other boarders who share the same feelings of homesickness.

Living with parents can be convenient since the parents are around for our personal needs and allow us to spend more time with friends because there is no messy house or dirty clothes waiting for your attention.

Living in boarding houses, however, teaches students responsibility in managing household chores, doing laundry, managing their time, and budgeting their money amid the demands of school activities and homework.

"The thing that I like about living in a boarding house is that I can measure myself if am I responsible enough to manage everything without my parents." Emia said.

Living alone, with no parents hovering around, also means acquiring the challenge to make responsible and wise decisions.

Clarito, Cabanog, and Emia also shared some perspectives that have helped them overcome homesickness.

"I just kept in mind that I need to sacrifice for the sake of my studies and make my parents an inspiration," Cabanog said.

Clarito shared, "I realized that I should not let this long distance status affect me in my studies because I am the boss of myself. It's my choice whether to be affected by it or not and besides my parents always call me every morning and every night to check if I'm okay."

"Thinking positively, being an open-minded person, and putting God as the center of everything will help you succeed in your endeavors, including living away from home," Emia said.

A boarding house can be a boarding home, if you will allow it to. Living away from your family throughout your college years may be terrifying. You may meet several challenges that you have to hurdle on your own. But in the process, if you will learn from your experiences, residing in a boarding house may greatly help you become a stronger, independent, and wise person.