IT is a genuine illness that few people care to speak about, but thanks to Syrian student Zena Ali and the University of Dundee, homesickness is being taken seriously as a matter for treatment and counselling.

Encouraged by the University, Zena Ali decided to speak out about homesickness after it almost cost her the degree of which she had dreamed.

Thanks to some traditional coffee from her homeland and a determination to succeed, she was able to overcome the often overlooked and misunderstood illness and on Friday she was one of 900 students who graduated from the University of Dundee.

Having gained a masters in Human Clinical Embryology, Zena Ali felt able to speak about the time she fell ill with homesickness. Feeling isolated and alone, the real dangers of the illness became apparent when she failed her first-year exams.

She said: “I felt so lonely, low and depressed and I couldn’t concentrate. I felt so embarrassed when I failed a module that it made me feel more isolated so my symptoms got worse.

“In the holidays I was lucky enough to have a break back home. That gave me strength and helped so much. I came back telling myself I could do it. I brought back some traditional coffee and spent a few nostalgic moments each day imagining I was drinking it with my family. I did the re-sit and passed.

“Now I know that if I had had the courage to share my feelings early on, and perhaps join a University society or volunteer group, I might have recovered sooner and not failed the first semester and needed to go home. We need to somehow fill the gap of separation from our families. Now I feel I can do anything.”

With her degree safely secured, she now intends to return to Syria to put her new skills to use.

The University, which has a high population of students who have come from abroad and all parts of the UK, takes the problem of homesickness very seriously.

University counsellor Caroline Adamson said, “Almost everyone will experience homesickness at some point in their life, regardless of their age. Symptoms may range from a mild feeling of longing to acute anxiety resulting in serious clinical conditions. There is no shame in admitting homesickness. It is common during most transitions.” but the symptoms do need to be recognized and acted upon to avoid withdrawal of the self and isolation.”