After spending almost a month at home or abroad away from the books, returning to campus can bring feelings of homesickness. Of course, I love my freedom and college friends but navigating new classes makes me want to catch the first flight back home!
Over the past two weeks I’ve found myself going through a range of emotions. I enjoy the hustle and bustle of having things to do, but as soon as I’m idle or something goes wrong, I’ve found myself in tears. If I get a phone call from my family, I am now questioning whether I can handle being thousands of miles away. I started to self-diagnose myself; I felt mildly depressed and a little FOMO (fear of missing out), which I have realized is completely normal.
Weeks prior, I sat on the couch most of the day with no agenda and let my mind be completely free. I got to see my family members every day, spend time with little cousins and siblings, and had people around that I am comfortable with. Now, having things to do, I am overwhelmed most of the time, constantly trying to navigate without a set schedule and back to being alone.
Approaching week three, I know that I must do something to shake the feeling of being down and out. This is where I bring in new habits, starting with doing homework whenever I am bored rather than thinking of things that I could be doing at home. I am also starting a new skin care routine, which may seem very small. However, having something long-term that you can focus on will occupy your mind and make the time go by faster. Finally, I am creating a new schedule to follow that will help me organize my day to day life. Now with a plan in mind, the next few weeks will simply be a transition instead of something new, and my homesickness will no longer be as prominent.