International student Donabel Bigtas Castro and classmate Hunter Graves catch up in the hallways of Lethbridge College on Nov. 17. 

As the holiday season approaches, international students at Lethbridge College are looking for support to deal with homesickness.

Donabel Bigtas Castro, a first-year business administration student at the college, said she has been away from her home country of the Philippines for over 19 years.

“Being away from home is tough, especially when you meet some problems along the way. I was in Manila for seven years after graduation and then I moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and I stayed there for 12 years before I moved to Canada,” said Bigtas Castro.

She said the best way for her to deal with homesickness is to divulge herself in activities around the community and finding a group of friends who can support her.

“I was able to be a part of a community where people know how it feels when you’re away from home, so they make me feel like I’m family,” said Bigtas Castro.

Moving to Lethbridge was difficult for her because she did not have any relatives in the country. Luckily, Bigtas Castro has found some ways to cope with homesickness.

“I always tend to reach out to Filipino communities or church communities where I can spend the time with them. I like to call my family every two days so I could be kept informed of what’s happening at home and what’s happening with my parents,” said Bigtas Castro.

Marizchelle Cruz, a student council member at the college, believes many international students suffer from homesickness and culture shock. Cruz said many international students rely on each other for support through various Facebook groups.

According to a Business Wire article on “Homesickness in the Modern Age: International Students Crave the Sounds of Home” published on September 5, 2019, “International students were born into a connected, digital era, but the majority still miss their familiar lifestyles in the real world.”

Lethbridge College luckily has a service for students to rely on if they are struggling. International Services can help students adjust to the new environment through services such as the English Language Centre before or during their post-secondary studies. They also assist with cultural adjustment to Canada and international students are able to contact the Student Support Program to speak to a counsellor.

“If they are having any issues, international students are instructed to go there (international services) for any kind of support or any kind of questions that they might have,” said Cruz.

Bigtas Castro said instructors have mentioned visiting the Wellness Centre at the college for additional assistance or if they are simply looking for someone to talk to.

“As a student we’re able to talk it out with some of our international students as well, so I have close friends from here as well, the locals from here, so it helps me a lot,” said Bigtas Castro.

Bigtas Castro hopes to go back to her home country in the future and spend time with her family, after being away from them for a long time.

Students can email International Services international@lethbridgecollege.ca for a resource. They can also visit their office on campus at TE1222.