While I was told by several people that I was undoubtedly going to face some degree of homesickness during the first month of college, I was not prepared for the long cries in the bathroom, eating lunch alone in my room and quickly falling behind in the readings for every single class. During the past three weeks, I’ve missed my family and friends more than ever before. However, I’ve also accepted that I need to embrace this new independence and be grateful for the opportunity to work toward a college degree — something not many people can say they’ve done. If you’re going through a similar situation and you feel alone or miss your loved ones, here are some tips that have really helped me adjust to college life and feel better instantly.
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1. Get outside. I know this can be a hard concept to grasp when you’re missing home and just want to crawl into bed and never leave; however, leaving your room and getting outside in the fresh air can really help you clear your mind. Plus, it’s really fun to explore different parts of campus and see new faces. If you don’t want to go alone, grab your roommate or a friend or even just someone from the next room over. You’ll come back to your room with a fresh outlook and lighter shoulders, guaranteed.
2. Go to as many of the Welcome Week events as you can. This is a great opportunity to meet new people and get free food. While I’ll be honest and say that some of the events can be pretty lame, going just to mingle with people and make new friends is so worth it because it’s so nice starting the school year with a few people you can grab to go to dinner or the library with.
3. Join clubs. I know you’ve heard this from everyone, but making an effort to go to the club fair and check out all the different clubs and organizations is really important. You can sign up for as many as you’d like without committing. Usually, the club leaders will email you about the first meetings, giving you a chance to check each club out and decide if you really want to join. Just make sure you join clubs that you actually want to be a part of and have time for. Remember, there are going to be a lot of other things you’ll want to join in college, so plan accordingly.
4. Get off campus. Grab a couple friends and go somewhere fun on a Saturday. Take a trip to the zoo or go to Chinatown. Explore different parts of the city or go to a museum. There are so many different things you can do to take a break from homework and from the college scene.
5. Don’t forget to call your parents. In the first couple of weeks, you may find yourself calling them three times a day, and that’s perfectly fine. Your parents are probably missing you as much as you’re missing them, and they definitely appreciate your taking time to give them a call. Eventually, you’ll find that schoolwork and hanging with friends will consume all of your time, but do try to call your family every couple of days. I find that texting my parents every day helps both them and me, and I try to call them every two or three days. You can also FaceTime with your family members as well. Sometimes, it helps to see their faces and to see little glimpses of your house. Keeping in contact with family and friends is really important, but don’t become so dedicated to calling every friend from high school every day; they don’t have the time, and quite frankly, you don’t either. A couple texts here and there will do! Snapchat is also a fun and easy way to keep up with friends.
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6. Get some sleep. Sleeping in college can prove to be very challenging with all the noise people make in the hallways and in their rooms, but it is important that you try to get a good amount of sleep each night, especially during the school week. In my first few weeks, I found that people were all hanging out in the hallways because no one had any homework, but once deadlines start popping up and professors start assigning huge amounts of work, everyone will become preoccupied with completing their work and with getting sleep, so it will quiet down.
7. Take time for yourself. It’s important that you give yourself some alone time to watch an episode of Grey’s Anatomy or to listen to your favorite music. Relaxation is not often associated with college because everyone is so busy and has no time to stop and breathe for a second. However, I think it’s essential that you take breaks from homework to relax for a little while. Just don’t let yourself watch an entire season of Grey’s Anatomy, especially if you have an early-morning class the next day.
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8. Clean your room. With independence, comes chores. I know you don’t have your mother telling you to make your bed and throw out your trash, but it is really important to keep your room clean. A neat room helps you focus better, and that means taking a few minutes each morning to make your bed and put your clothes away. Trust me, it’ll make you feel better instantly.
So, if you find yourself with new people in a new environment and you start to feel a little homesick, try out some of these tips. Hopefully, you’ll start to feel better in no time!
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