Many schools across the country are having their homecomings around this time. Many students actually get to go home, while others stay and cheer on their team with the alumni. For freshmen, this is the first semester that you’ve been away for longer than a few weeks from your hometown. If you’re feeling homesick, here’s five common reasons students get homesick and how to cure it.
Home Cooked Meals
Dining hall food doesn’t always provide the same level of comfort as your mother’s or grandmother’s meatloaf. If you’re missing your favorite comfort food or need to change up the dining hall cuisine, take a cooking class. Watch different YouTube tutorials on how to make your favorites. If your dorm does not have a kitchen area or you don’t have all the things you need (like bowls, an oven, access to a stove), ask your friends who live in other buildings or off campus if you can borrow their kitchen.
Another option is to plan a dinner with friends. Do a potluck where everyone brings their favorite dish. They’re probably feeling the same way you are and will love the opportunity to share their favorite food from home. Or, ask your friends to pick one night a week to go off-campus and eat. It’ll add variety, and you’ll associate the social aspect with comfort.Â
Your Pet
I’m guilty of this one. I love my puppy (the one above in the red wagon) and I miss him every single day. But all pet parents miss their animals while away at school. There is no single cure-all for missing your pet, but volunteering at animal shelters or offering to pet sit for friends will help get you through the semester. That and phone calls to your cat/dog/pet will help.Â
Homecoming Dances
Instagram has been flooded with homecoming dance pictures. If you miss dressing up with your friends and going to a school dance, the best thing to do is plan a Girls’ Night Out. There is no reason why you and your friends can’t dress up, get your hair and makeup done and go out to dinner. Take pictures, make it your own event. In other words…
High School Football Games
I don’t know what it is about the fall, but even as a senior, I still miss the atmosphere surrounding high school football games. It’s the familiarity, knowing you’ll run into people from all over your town, and you get to watch your friends in the marching band. I get it. And Friday Night Lights being on Netflix doesn’t help either…
But I recommend going to football games or sporting events on campus with your friends. Make new memories and establish new traditions. Tailgate, dress up or down (depending on the school), and meet new people in the stands around you. The college football environment is unlike any other.Â
Best Friends from Home
I struggle with this one as well. If you’re missing your bestie or besties from home, don’t worry. That’s normal. Your real best friends will keep up with you no matter what. The others will just like your photos on Facebook. I’d recommend making new friends on your campus. You can never have too many friends, so it’s okay to make new ones. Your friends from home will still be there, and they’re experiencing the same thing at their schools.