As much as I love being at home, I also love being at school, so I have never experienced prolonged homesickness. Of course the beginning of freshman year can be stressful, so I did miss home for a few weeks, but I’m the type of person who loves routine, so once I got settled into classes the homesickness was almost completely alleviated. Nothing has compared to the homesickness I have experienced as a sophomore.
Within the first month of my sophomore year, I had a falling out with a friend, started a new job, and tried to put myself out there way more than I ever have. While in the end these things are probably for the best, they were extremely anxiety-inducing. Being the self-proclaimed introvert and homebody that I am, I started to want to go home more than anything. I took a quick trip home a few weeks after and seeing my family was just what I needed. It was incredibly comforting to be home, but going back to school affected me way more than I anticipated. I was absolutely never the person who got upset coming back to school, but on the train ride from New Jersey to Boston I kind of lost it.
I didn’t even realize how much I missed my family. Going back to the place that feels so safe and familiar with all the people I love made it difficult to come back to the place I had been associating with anxiety for weeks. Now that it has been over a month since all of this has happened, things are starting to return to normalcy, but that homesickness has remained like a dull ache that just won’t go away. I’ve needed to put a new concerted effort into my relationships in order to ease these feelings. I was never the most consistent when remembering to call and text my family and friends and am normally the type of person to bottle up my emotions. I found that I needed to rely on my support system now more than ever. I got way more consistent about talking to my friends and family, and the homesickness is still there, but when I can focus on school and reach out for support when I need it, it can be manageable.
Don’t be too surprised if you suddenly start to feel homesick, especially during stressful times. College is hard. It’s understandable to want to go home sometimes. Make sure you reach out to your support system to get the help you need.
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