IPB University Students Develop a Solution for Homesickness Among New Boarding School Students
Leaving home for the first time and living far from family is no easy feat for a teenager. This is what hundreds of new seventh-grade students at Sekolah Cendekia BAZNAS (SCB) in Cibungbulang, Bogor, experience every time the new school year begins. Crying at night, withdrawing from friends, and a waning enthusiasm for learning are common sights during the first few months of dorm life.
Driven by this concern, Muhammad Zidane Rizantha, a student in the Family and Consumer Sciences (IKK) program at the Faculty of Social and Human Ecology (FISEMA) at IPB University, designed a psychosocial intervention program called STAY-MATE (Support, Trust, Adaptation, and Youth Motivation for Education) as part of a community service capstone program under the guidance of Prof. Megawati Simanjuntak and Fuad Habibi Siregar, SPsi.
The program ran for six weeks, from April to May 2026, involving 55 seventh grade students at SCB. Utilizing experiential learning, instruction was delivered through real-life experiences divided into three phases: emotional awareness and regulation, strengthening peer support, and building motivation for learning.
The program’s main tool is the STAY-MATE Journal, an interactive journal that includes a mood tracker, daily reflections, a gratitude journal, and weekly learning goals.
“We want students to have a space where they can be honest about their own feelings, while also learning that their classmates can be a second home,” said Zidane.
The students felt this change immediately. Chelsea, one of the program participants, shared her thoughts simply yet meaningfully. “I’m happy that Zidane comes here every week. I’ve learned how to manage my emotions better; when I miss my mom and dad, I know what to do. I’m also more motivated to study. And I’ve started thinking, why am I here? Well, because I want to succeed,” she said.
The results show that all indicators of positive emotions have increased, including feelings of calmness, enthusiasm, and happiness with friends, while anxiety, unexplained sadness, and loneliness have decreased drastically. Learning motivation has also strengthened significantly, marked by a reduction in lazy behavior and increased engagement in lessons.
The SCB Guidance and Counseling teachers praised this program as a breakthrough that had long been needed. “We see real changes in the children. They are more open, more enthusiastic, and are starting to feel at home here; we are very grateful to Zidane and the other IKK friends for coming to SCB,” said one of the teachers.
The STAY-MATE program is clear evidence that family and consumer studies can provide concrete solutions for the community. Through the IKK Capstone program, IPB University continues to encourage its students to produce community service projects that have a direct impact on the lives of Indonesia’s younger generation. (*/Rz) (IAAS/EPK)
