Although homesicknesses isn’t a real disease, it still plagues college campuses and at some point, it affects a large portion of the student body. Whether you’re a freshman and experiencing homesickness because you’re away from home for the first time, or you’re a senior missing your dog, loved one, etc. here are some tips that can help you snap out of it and get back on track.
1. Call home
When you feel the homesickness coming on, the best thing you can do right off the bat is call home. Whether it’s your mom, dad, sibling, loved one, or friend. A simple phone call can help you sort out all of your emotions. Even if you don’t open up to the person about what you’re feeling, the comforting voice of someone from home can help remind you everything is going to be okay.
2. Talk to your roommate or friend
I can guarantee you that other people around you are feeling the exact same way you are. Even if your roommate or new friend you made in class aren’t from your home town, or even home state, talking to them about your emotions will be beneficial. You can start off the conversation by asking them what their town is like, and go from there. Bounce memories off each other and find similarities in your experiences. Through it all, you’ll end up making a bond of your own!
3. Mark your calendar
One of the best ways to stop yourself from looking back is to look forward. Mark your calendar for Fall Break, Thanksgiving, Parent’s Weekend, or any other events where you will get a taste of home. Plan visits with friends and loved ones — whether they come to you or you go to them. Count down the days and remind yourself that soon enough the hurt will heal!
4. Get out of your room
Exploring your surroundings and leaving your quiet, sometimes lonely room will refresh your mind and excite you. Instead of studying at your desk in front of a picture of your family, go to the lively student center. Instead of bringing meal equiv back to your room to eat, go to Alumni Grove. Explore the lakes, the town of Ewing, go into Princeton, etc. Get out and have fun!
5. Do things you love to do at home
Another way to get over homesickness is by making your current residence feel more like home. Do what you would at home – kick around a soccer ball outside, lay in the grass and catch a tan, have a movie night in, etc. Maybe the cure to your homesickness is in the fact that you haven’t made the effort to transition your school into your home!