If you’re like I was as a new freshman, you may be struggling with the transition to college and wondering: What if my homesickness never goes away? I remember the first week of my freshman year, my first week away from home, I was devastated.
My family has always been close. Our community is with each other. I’ve had so many wonderful friends over the years, of course, but my connection to my family is extremely strong. My brother is my built-in best friend; we’ve always had similar interests and matching personalities. I’ve always missed him, my sister, and my parents so much, despite how excited I was to go to college.
I’m a senior now and I’m here to tell you that it does get better! You find a new community and carve out a place for yourself in this new life. But, I won’t tell you that the feeling will go away completely, because for me it didn’t. Just today, I was driving back from class and I missed my mom so much that it hurt. Sometimes I really want to share an experience with my brother, or talk about soccer with my dad, or paint with my sister. But although homesickness will always be a part of me, it is no longer so all-encompassing.
My best advice to help your homesickness is to distract yourself. Explore your new town and your campus, join clubs, go to campus events, or volunteer. I busied myself with exploring Washington D.C., I joined Her Campus, I did sorority recruitment and joined a sorority, and I went to campus events like the George Mason International Buddy Program events.
I met my best friends through my sorority and just going to class. They’re my biggest guard against homesickness, because whether we’re going to the farmer’s market or driving to Cookout on a Sunday night, I know they’re always there for me. I can text or FaceTime them whenever I just have a random thought or need someone to talk to! I also have my long-distance childhood best friend who has truly gotten me through the past three years.
Also, I go home when I can. Some advice might tell you to suppress that urge or to focus on other things, that you could make your homesickness worse by going home, but I disagree. Maybe I miss my family more when I leave after a weekend visit, but I got to spend important quality time with them. To me, that’s worth the long trip on the metro or feeling a little sad about going back to campus.
Focus on the good things around you, and try to distract yourself for the time being. You’ll get more comfortable as time goes on, and your homesickness might not fully go away- but it’ll get easier to bear.
And honestly, I’m grateful for the fact that I miss my family. I know many people don’t have a close relationship with their parents or siblings. And isn’t it truly a blessing to have people that you love so much that you feel a little lost without them?