Getting Rid of Homesickness, Advice from an actual College Student
I think every high school student imagines the first time being dropped off at their university. The fresh and crisp air of autumn as summer slowly fades away. You waited four long and boring years for THIS. EXACT. MOMENT.
Although it doesn’t play out that way.
The first few days of college kind of went by and I began missing being at home, which I totally did not incipient. Homesickness was everywhere around me; most students can learn to adjust to it while some like my best friend drop out of college because they feel distressed.
According to a survey done by the UCLA higher education institute, 69 percent of students’ report feeling homesick their first year of college. In “A Decade of Homesickness Research: What We’ve Learned” Sherry Woosley states that homesickness distress is highly related to fall-term GPA . Homesickness can even effect fall-to-fall retention or student’s decision to even attend college, an average of 34 percent of students drop out of college due to distress from separation of home. This is a position a lot of incoming students find themselves with the transition from high school to college.
This is some advice from a college student to other students on how to combat homesickness.
1. Get out of your room
It’s okay to reach out to your friends and family back home here and there but getting out of your room for a couple of hours each day is super beneficial. Colleges make this easy by hosting events on campus such as open mic nights at cafes or sporting events. Even getting out of your room to study in the library. Believe me there’s life outside your dorm room and you’re only freshman once (YOFO!).
2. Join some clubs
Sign up for every club you’re considering. Maybe you don’t have an act for Ultimate Frisbee but the worst that can happen is you meet some new people, at best you find your place in college. The first year of college is the time to do whatever. Don’t let your inexperience or the unfamiliarity keep you from trying new things.
Sports teams, religious study groups, or just a Beyoncé fan club can help you meet new people on campus. As said by Gregory S. Longo and Jungmeen Kim-Spoon in “Homesickness in college students: The role of religion in combating depression”, the role of participation in groups can provide students with a sort of support group to help combat their homesickness.
Keeping yourself busy is a good way to take your mind off thinking about home. Eventually you will slow down and take in your new surroundings, realizing that you laid the foundation of a new home.
3. Staying connected
Whether you are 45 miles away or 1000 communicating with your friends and family back home once a week or every day while you’re settling into college is important to help you feel less homesick. Even going back home over the weekend to visit will help you feel connected and not like everyone has forgotten about you.
In “College Student Mental Health Counseling A Developmental Approach” Christine Borzumato-Gainey and Suzanne Degges-White state that states, students who have regular visits back home have an easier time transitioning into college than students who can’t visit home.
4. Remember you’re not alone
Everyone at college feels a degree of homesickness at one point or another. Talking to other students who are going through the same thing can provide you with a support group. Even reaching out to campus counselors about your homesickness no matter what degree you are experiencing proves to be beneficial.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Josh Klapow says, “Feeling homesick is part of learning to live a new life — you can’t do it without going through some sort of adjustment period”. Talking to others who are going through the same thing as you or are experienced in dealing with homesickness is one of the best things you can do. No one wants to see you suffer in college especially if they can provide you with great resources and support to help your transition from living away from home.
5. Give yourself time
There is no overnight cure for homesickness. Remember that being away from home and starting a new life at college is not easy, but it gets easier. You’ve overcome difficult times before and starting college is no different. Remember that college is a time to challenge yourself and explore your options, so try your best to stay positive.
