Studying abroad is a dream for many students — and to realize it necessitates hard work, dedication, and oftentimes, a lot of funding. But when homesickness strikes, that dream can become something of a nightmare. “It’s always sad, right?” asks Fareeda Eraky. “It’s like this feeling of longing to go back to where you grew up.” Eraky is a 22-year-old Egyptian medical school student preparing for her second year at Rutgers University in the United States. Although she usually returns to Egypt for holidays in the summer and winter, this year, she has not managed either. This, sadly, is an unfortunate reality for many students living abroad. With Egypt ranking as the third largest ‘sending’ country in the region, and the number of Egyptian students choosing to study abroad having tripled in the last decade, it is no isolated issue. Sometimes, coming home for the holidays is made difficult by academic necessity, such as summer or winter programs, and sometimes it is difficult because of finances, which have become an even bigger issue in light of the devaluation of the Egyptian pound. In Eraky’s case, both are to blame: even…
Feeling the Distance: An Egyptian Student’s Tips for Combating Homesickness
July 19, 2023
