There is a bad stigma around going home while being away at college. People think that you will not get the whole experience or that you will miss out if you go home. But, going home may not be such a bad thing.
Going away to college is a change of atmosphere and surroundings. This can be difficult to get used to right away. Going home every so often can help with the readjusting. Instead of not going home cold turkey, you can go home every weekend or even every other.
Being at college takes you away from the familiarity that you have known. Whether this is your house, your family or even your favorite pet, it is a new experience. Having familiarity every so often is never a bad thing.
In my case, going home has made college easier for me. When I am very stressed or have had a stressful week, I will go home to get away from college for a bit. This way, I am out of the environment that made me stressful and I am back with familiarity. This gives me time to calm down and relax, even if it is only for a couple of days. I get to disconnect from college and the reality of it all. Even the drive back home is calming and a place where I can relieve any stress I have built up. If I did not go home, I think my mental health would be worse than it is.
Also, I get to catch up with back home friends when I go home. Trying to balance: work, school, school friends and back home friends and family, is hard. When I go home, I catch up with friends and we discuss what has happened since we last saw each other. This is because they have jobs back home full time and I am a fulltime student along with working two jobs.
In my experience and others around me, going home has helped. It helps us become more adjusted. Also, only going home a few times makes you appreciate home life more than you did before. I can not wait for my next trip home to see the beautiful sunsets over the lake.
