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A long-exposure shot of a moving subway train and advertisement posters at the station
A long-exposure shot of a moving subway train and advertisement posters at the station
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From Hofstra to Hostel: Combatting Homesickness Before You Leave

Naledi Ushe
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Hailey Oliveri
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Hofstra chapter.
I know at this point you’re super excited, acceptance letter: check, visa sorted: check, fight booked: CHECK! But keep in mind that as much as I know you cant wait to leave, you’ll quickly realize how much you missed home, even more so because you can’t take a spontaneous weekend to go home. Fear not though, this journey you are embarking on is going to be AMAZING!
 
So here are some little things you can do to fight your homesickness temporarily:
 
1. Print a Ton of Photos
The best way to get the max amount of photos without overcrowding is by going square! I shamelessly printed 62 photos of my favorite memories at school, my family and of course my puppy. It’s hard to bring your full wall décor abroad but a small envelope in your carryon could be all you need to feel at home!
 
2. Bring Your Stuffed Animals
Once again, be shameless! At this point I know you are either a junior or senior but this doesn’t mean your long term snuggle buddy has to suffer with a few months without you. Your roommate won’t judge you because they’ll understand, or even wish they had done the same.
 
3. Spray Your Mom’s Perfume On Item of Choice
You can even do a two-for-one and spray moms perfume on your stuffed animal. That level of comfort is something you will need. On sick days it’ll almost be like she’s there when you get to cuddle up to the familiar scent. And no it’s not creepy; you’re just engaging all your senses in the memory.
 
4. Get Connected
As soon as you get to your new destination go get a SIM card (spare your parents the money on a basic international plan)! And immediately start texting your friends or posting that number on Facebook. Additionally get WhatsApp and Group Me to stay connected with your non IPhone users and your friend group at no additional charge!
 
5. Host Weekly Family Dinners
These new people in your friend group abroad will quickly become your family for the next few months. Why not make it homey and alternate weeks in which you all cook for each other?! It’s fun, cost effective and will give you a sense of community because after all food is how true friendships last!
 
~ Safe Travels
Hofstra '17 Hofstra Chapter Vice President (December '16 - December '17) From a young age Naledi has been obsessed with all things pop culture and entertainment. Through writing for Her Campus she has been able to reach a large audience of badass collegiate women who share her crazy passions as well. Beyond Her Campus Naledi is IN LOVE with Hofstra. Her favorite part? The school of comm for allowing her to branch out and get a real dip into the real world prior to graduating. Additionally Naledi is one of those classic people who studies abroad in the spring of 2016 and won't ever stop talking about it! Her best advice? Go and see the world kids and fall in love with your major like Ali and Noah from the Notebook fell in love with each other.
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Coming from a small town in Connecticut, Hailey is a recent graduate of Hofstra University. She spent her time in school working as the Campus Correspondent for the Hofstra chapter of Her Campus where she led the chapter to a pink level status every semester she oversaw the chapter. She also served as the Personnel Director for Marconi Award Winning station WRHU-FM. While holding multiple positions at Hofstra, she was a communications intern at Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment, the company that oversees Barclays Center and Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum.