The feeling of loneliness is fundamentally experienced by persons irrespective of all differences. There is, however a general consensus among researchers about the inevitability of loneliness. John Donne asserted that:
No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse . . .
In this poem, John Donne explores the idea of the connectedness of people. People are not isolated islands. We are all a part of a larger thing. The effects of loneliness are felt plainly or subtly depending on the personality type of a person. Tanner (1973) stated:
Loneliness is something that we all have to deal with, at one time or another in our lives.The person
…show more content…
Here, surrounded by people of a similar age and, supposedly, with lots in common one can nevertheless feels wretchedly isolated and awkward. This is made worse by the sight of others who seem perfectly at ease, are rapidly making friends and are becoming embedded in groups from which one feels excluded or only tolerated on the margins.
Looked at from another angle, however, it is not surprising that loneliness at college and universities is common especially among first year students. Coming to college and is a major stage in 'leaving home '. It may indeed be the first time one is away not just from the supportive familiarity of home and family, but away also from friendships that may have been built up over years.
For some students leaving home and coming to college involves a number of changes: in lifestyle, work patterns, and degree of independence. The accumulated effects of these can make people feel uncertain of what to do or how to be. Social insecurities can then creep in, even in people who normally feel quite socially adept. So, for some, loneliness is a new and disconcerting experience, while for others it is more