By: Kirthana Iyer
My first month at BU was actual death. I was fine for the first couple of days, but soon I started missing warmth…the sun….food that’s not from a dining hall. This is a very common theme for college students, and I am not at all ashamed of the fact that I felt it. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of the school. Boston was actually a dream for me, but there are moments where I wish I was able to just fly home whenever I wanted to, you know?
So how the hell did I deal with it? Well, it’s pretty simple.
I went home.
HA.
No, but like actually, that doesn’t mean you should go home whenever you feel homesick. It got me thinking, “how can I fix this issue without taking a 7-hour flight home?” Then I made a little list called the “Homesick Much” List, which is basically a personalized list that encompasses each category of home that you can do here. So, here are some general things you can do!
1. Eat a cuisine close to what you eat at home.
Okay, so I know this one kinda seems unnecessary but hear me out. This one was actually one of the most important. As amazing as the dining hall is, nothing compares to my mom’s food at times when I’m homesick. So what I do is I go onto my lil Doordash app, look up Indian food in the area, and order it. When I get it, it kinda reminds me of when I get takeout Indian food back home in a weird way. You’ll get the feeling when you do it, trust me.
BONUS POINT: If that doesn’t do the trick, next time you miss home a lot, go and eat off campus. Eating off campus at a restaurant will also give you a different view and there will be a moment where you zone out, and for a second, it’ll feel like you’re at a restaurant back home.
2. Listen to some beats!
When I feel like I’m going into the state of homesickness, I turn on literally any music I used to listen to all the time. I don’t know what kind of music you guys listen to, but I think back to music I used to listen to during my senior year of high school, which sounds dorky, BUT IT WORKS. For a moment, you’ll feel like you are back to being a senior and worrying about high school things instead of worrying about the fact that you haven’t done your laundry in a month….it’s fine…you’re fine….we’re all fine…
3. Watch videos from home.
I don’t know if it’ll help or if it’ll make you sadder, but sometimes it can do both. Just watching a video can remind you of when you were super happy and not struggling through midterms. It’s a good time. And also it’ll remind you that home awaits you! After school ends, you can go home! Don’t you worry. They will also remind you that you did some dumb and funny stuff in high school so you can remember and relive that too.
4. Go out into town!
If all else fails, distract yourself. Go explore the city. You are literally in Boston, an urban city. There is always so much to do. I remember I went to Primark when I was feeling down with a group of friends. It honestly made me feel so much better and made me realize I am so loved. So…GO EXPLORE.
5. Join clubs or organizations!
JOIN SOMETHING. It helps! I started realizing that as soon as #midtermszn was upon us, I started missing home a little more. So, I joined HerCampus and a sorority! Writing about home and drowning myself in recruitment was honestly such a nice way to forget about wanting to be home for a couple minutes.
6. Call home!
NEVER BE ASHAMED TO CALL HOME. Sometimes we miss home and our parents know it, so just call them. Tell them I miss home and just talk about your day and their day. I am borderline obsessed with my parents. I actually call them every single day but at the end of the call, I feel so much better. You just know that they are waiting to see you, you know?
So, these are my little hacks. I know they aren’t perfect but they are a good stepping stone. You are far away from home even if you live 15 minutes away from campus. Homesickness is a b*tch. Home isn’t here right now, but it’ll always be there waiting for you. So, be brave!! Make it through your #midtermsszn!
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