The five unnatural deaths of young students at the BITS Pilani campus in Goa has brought to the fore various difficulties the student community of today pursuing higher studies face. These include peer pressure, health neglect, academic pressure among other factors. But one factor that may be overlooked is isolation and staying away from family for long periods of time leading to loneliness. There could be several students who find it difficult to get accustomed to living away from their family and in an entirely different atmosphere as they have to follow the hostel rules. Hence they could feel “suffocated” in the new environment. There is also the fear of ragging from the senior students. Though there is a ban on ragging, such activities could be taking place on the sly within the four walls of the hostel room. However, unlike in the past, students living in the hostels can now be in touch with their families back home through video calls on their mobiles or Skype on the laptop. Parents need to see to it that they are in contact with their wards almost every day.
