As someone who lives three hours away from campus, I understand what it’s like to feel homesick every now and then. Whether you’re a first year or a senior, every student feels homesick to some degree or another. It doesn’t have to happen right at the beginning of school, but can catch up to you as the semester progresses. Whether it’s your family, pets, house, town, friends or anything else that reminds you of home that you miss, at one point or another you’ll be missing it. And going home every weekend isn’t the most practical solution, so here’s seven ways to help fight that homesick feeling you may have.
1. Video chat with friends very often
Texting is one thing, but sometimes hearing the voices of and seeing the faces of friends is a lot better. You could use lots of websites or apps for video chatting, like Google+, Facebook, Skype, Snapchat and more. When you’re bored in your dorm or walking back from class, make time to call friends from home.
2. Hang up photos of friends, family, and pets in your dorm
Decorating your dorm room is always a key part to college life, because you get to make yourself feel at home a long way from home. A very easy way to reminisce in the past is to hang up or post photos of your pets, friends, or family. Use pictures from Christmas cards, high school, prom, or homecoming, or print pictures you have saved. Shutterfly, Walgreens, CVS or Walmart are just four places where you can order pictures and have them mailed to your mailbox or picked up from a store. You can use clothespins to clip the pictures to a string of yarn that’s draped across the wall, or clip them to some lights you have hanged up. Memo boards are also really useful to put up pictures, and Target or Walmart sell cheap ones.
3. Make a list for when you go home
Even if you live a number of hours away and don’t have a car like me, there are designated times for you to go home over breaks, but make a list for things to do and places to go for when you get home. Restaurants you miss, activities you want to do, even visiting spots like the mall or school. Write it all down, so when you’re bored over breaks and have nothing to do but homework, go visit whatever you’ve been missing.
4. Actually talk to your parents
It’s true college kids get a newfound independence from our parents, but find time to reach out to your parents throughout your busy days. I’m not just talking about a text every now and then whenever you need money, but a phone call or active chat every now and then. Even if you’re living far away from home, any homesickness will be minimized if you talk to your parents on a regular schedule.
5. Have friends visit you
We do have a train station very close to campus, and campus security will give you a ride to and fro if you schedule with them ahead of time. Whenever friends back home aren’t busy, ask them to come stop by. Take them to Gibble to see a movie, use some guest meals for them, relax in the Dell, or chill out in your dorm room. There’s a number of things to do with someone, just ask OSA.
6. Keep in touch with the town
My town has always had a news source for the specific town itself, which updates news about parks, restaurants and events. I always like checking up on it while away at college so I know how all the businesses, schools and people are doing back home.
7. Social media!
Always check up on how people are doing by what they post. When you’re feeling down, begin that long trip down to the bottom of a social media page to remember the past.