Even though the academic year is coming to a close, the stress of figuring out summer plans, surviving finals and, for seniors, determining your future goals can sometimes be a bit too much to handle. When life is tough, the people we turn to are friends and family, and sometimes it isn’t so easy when they are no longer a few steps down the hallway or a 15-minute drive away. So, here are three ways to make college feel like your home away from home:
1. Put up pictures and collages of loved ones
Living in dorm rooms, sorority houses, and apartments makes it difficult to personalize your home sometimes, but there are products out there catered to college students! WeMontage is a company that sells removable photo wallpaper made up of your own personalized photos, so it is perfect to solve your homesick woes and brighten up your room during the stresses that come with the end of the school year! No nails required, and if you install it on a clean wall save the backing, you can put it up next year too. Include as many photos of your parents, friends, sorority sisters and pets your heart desires!
2. Bring a piece of home with you to school
Whether it’s a quilt your mom made for you, your boyfriend’s t-shirt, your favorite stuffed animal (don’t lie, you all have one) or even your track medals from high school, having items in your room that remind you of home is always comforting. If you are having a rough day, there’s nothing like cuddling up with your favorite blanket from home while watching some Netflix. Nostalgia at it’s finest.
3. Stock up on childhood favorites
If you have a favorite book, a favorite childhood pick-me-up snack or old family photos, make room for them in your already-packed car when you come to school. Just having familiar scents, tastes and memories can turn your day upside down from feeling like you are far from life’s familiarities to feeling like you are on your family’s back porch. Light a candle that smells like home, watch family favorites on the Hallmark channel during the holidays and ask your mom for her chicken noodle soup recipe when you are feeling under the weather. Believe me, even if you end up resorting to Campbell’s, just having the option of cooking it how your mom does is weirdly comforting.
Next time you are feeling homesick, just try one of these tips to make college feel more like your home away from home!