Do you ever feel like that one mouse eating an M&M on the floor by itself while eating dinner in your dorm or apartment? That’s pretty much what my every day feels like now that I’m in my second year of college, so if you’ve been feeling the same, welcome!
It doesn’t exactly matter how many years you have been in college or how accustomed you’ve become to being far from home, sometimes you just have days where you miss home. Days where you reminisce on those good times you had eating your parent’s delicious home-cooked meals, the comfort of laying in your own bed, or the joyous feeling you get with your hometown friends. It’s all normal to want to go back to.
If you can relate to this, I’m here to give you a warm hug and tell you that it’s OK.
Over the summer, I got even closer to my best friends, more than any other summer. So when it was time for us to say our goodbyes and leave for college again, it was a lot harder than I remember it being last year. Perhaps it was the first-year jitters that didn’t allow me to realize how much I would miss them throughout my first year.Â
Now, going on to my second year, it hit me that we would be hours away from each other and it would be yet another 9 months of academic stress without my biggest support there with me.Â
If you’re a first-year, a fellow second-year, a third-year, or even a grad student missing home, know that you’re not alone and I’m here to give you some of my guiding tips to aid your homesickness.Â
- DO NOT go home, give it a few weeks.
- I know it’s tempting, but please don’t! The more often you decide to go home, the more of a habit it will become (trust me). It won’t cure the homesickness and most importantly you’ll miss out on some cool college experiences that you’ll only get to experience once. Feel free to go home once you feel more settled in and give college a chance before you decide to return.Â
- Phone calls are not as bad as they sound.
- If you miss your family or friends, give them a call! It’ll make them just as happy knowing that you’re still thinking about them as much as they are thinking about you. It might not be the same as having them physically there with you, but I know hearing my mom’s voice at the end of my day makes it 10 times better.
- Distract yourself, take it easy, and do something fun!
- It’s always nice to get outside of your dorm and forget about studying for a second. Call up some friends and get dinner together or explore your downtown area. For Cal Poly SLO students, check out the farmer’s market every Thursday, you’re always bound to have a good time.
- Join something, anything!
- If your school has thousands of clubs, sororities, or fraternities, you’re bound to find something you like. I suggest you go to a club fair and see what you can find. I know I didn’t expect to find Her Campus during my first club fair. Who knows, your local Her Campus chapter might be just the right place for you…
- Have open conversations.
- Lastly, don’t be afraid to talk about feeling homesick. Find a person on campus to talk about your feelings. It can be a friend, counselor, or anyone you trust. I had a good time having late-night conversations with my first-year roommates about how much we missed home, it just makes you feel a little less alone :)
College is all about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable and taking the time to discover your interests away from home. Looking back at my first year, I don’t think I would have become the person I am now if I hadn’t decided to stay on campus for as long as I did.Â
If you’re struggling with homesickness, I suggest you give college some time. I promise in the end, you’ll be thankful for the amount of memories, lessons learned, things discovered, and friends you will have made along the way.Â