Homesickness in the Modern Age: International Students Crave the Sounds of Home, Says HSBC Survey

• Even with virtual family dinners and messaging app hangouts with friends, 74 percent of international students say it’s the sounds of home they miss the most
• Yet despite the initial challenges of moving overseas, they overwhelmingly agree that studying abroad has a positive, lasting impact (99 percent)
• HSBC has created Sounds of Home – a series of global soundscapes for Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes designed to transport international students back to their home countries

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–From keeping a seat at the table for virtual family dinners to staying up to date on the lives of friends, research by HSBC shows the majority of international students are using technology like video calls, Instagram, WeChat and WhatsApp (97 percent) to connect with friends and family – but this doesn’t stop them from missing home.

Ninety-two percent of international students say that they miss the familiarities of home while studying overseas, with almost six in 10 (57 percent) saying it’s the sensory experience they miss most and three quarters (74 percent) specifically missing the sounds of their hometown. International students identified the sound of people talking in their native language (50 percent), the hustle and bustle of local markets (26 percent), the rumble of public transport (25 percent) and birds, insects or native animals (20 percent) as the sounds they are most likely to miss.

According to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, there are nearly 1 million students studying in the US from abroad. To help these international students, as well as those studying in other parts of the globe, achieve their goals and feel connected to home, HSBC has released Sounds of Home, a series of global soundscapes, crowd-sourced and created by international influencers. The tracks feature sounds such as a traditional clapping exercise in Taiwan, India’s Temple Bhajan, a durian seller in Singapore and the waves of Malaysia’s Pantai beach. Each will be available on YouTube here and on all major music streaming channels (e.g. Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal). HSBC also captured the process behind recording and compiling these evocative sounds. To see more, go here.

While moving overseas is an exciting adventure for students, which they say has a positive, lasting impact (99 percent), it can take some time to adjust. Two in five (43 percent) international students feel homesick at least once a week or more. Nearly half (49 percent) believe missing family and friends has impacted their academic performance, and two in five (40 percent) say being away from home has affected their ability to get a good night’s sleep. Homesickness is particularly prominent late at night from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Baroness Susan Greenfield, former fellow at The University of Oxford and CEO of Nero-Bio Ltd said:

“International students were born into a connected, digital era, but the majority still miss their familiar lifestyles in the real world. Whilst it’s reassuring that this young generation is not living in a cyber-parallel universe, the challenge is how to off-set the absence of family, friends, location and language in tangible new ways.

“Sounds and smells are – more than the other three senses – the most pervasive and the least contextual. Perhaps sounds are so important in homesickness because they are hard to encapsulate in a specific, single memory, and play a bigger role in our on-going consciousness. Sound also allows room for imagination, conjuring up in your mind a personal scenario. This means sound can be used to good effect to induce a sense of personal well-being.”

Despite facing a range of challenges, including setting up a bank account in their country of study (35 percent) and setting aside enough money to be able to travel home (40 percent), independence and new experiences are most commonly seen as benefits of studying abroad (60 percent). Eighty-four percent of international students believe they have not only gained new skills, but have also become stronger people.

Paul Mullins, HSBC’s Regional Head of International for North America, said:

“There are many benefits to studying abroad – new adventures, new skills and independence – but that doesn’t stop you from missing the familiarity of home. As someone from the UK who has lived and worked abroad, including now in the United States, I know what it’s like to feel homesick.

“Sounds of Home helps international students feel closer to the people and places they love. These soundscapes were created to complement the financial guidance and support we provide as a leading bank for international students all over the world. It’s another way in which HSBC is a reassuring presence for students who are away from home, helping them to navigate the fulfilling and challenging world of international study.”

For more information about HSBC’s International Services visit: https://internationalservices.hsbc.com/index/overseas-education/

Note to editors:

The research

The Sounds of Home is an independent consumer research study into the experience of international students commissioned by HSBC. It provides authoritative insights into the emotional toll of moving to a new country as a student and explores perceptions of homesickness and living in an unfamiliar country.

The findings represent the views of 897 international students from 11 countries and territories: Australia, mainland China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, UK and USA.

The research is based on a sample of students aged 17 – 29 years old who are current international students or who have studied abroad in the last 5 years and was conducted between 12th June 2019 and 24th June 2019.

HSBC Bank USA, National Association (HSBC Bank USA, N.A.) serves customers through retail banking and wealth management, commercial banking, private banking, and global banking and markets segments. It operates bank branches in: California; Connecticut; Washington, D.C.; Florida; Maryland; New Jersey; New York; Pennsylvania; Virginia; and Washington. HSBC Bank USA, N.A. is the principal subsidiary of HSBC USA Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of HSBC North America Holdings Inc. HSBC Bank USA, N.A. is a Member of FDIC. Investment and brokerage services are provided through HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., (Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC) and insurance products are provided through HSBC Insurance Agency (USA) Inc.

HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 65 countries and territories in our geographical regions: Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, and Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,751bn at 30 June 2019, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.

Contacts

Media enquiries to:

Matt Klein (HSBC) +1 212 525 4644 matt.klein@us.hsbc.com

Lara Bunston (HSBC) +44 (0) 7796 704836 lara.bunston@hsbc.com

Nicki Cooper (Edelman) +44 (0)20 3047 2484 nicki.cooper@edelman.com