This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at KU chapter.
Going to school out of state can be daunting and difficult. Personally, I am only three and a half hours away and it sometimes seems as if its 17. Coming from a huge family, it was and still is hard to not get FOMO everytime I look at Snapchat or Instagram when I see all my cousins together. My homesickness comes and goes, however, I am so grateful to have a place and people that make leaving so hard (senti, I know). However, during my short time here I have found a few remedies to make home feel a lot closer. Here are my tips to make your homesick blues more manageable:
Facetime
- Although schedules are crazy and finding time to talk to people is hard, I have found that FaceTime is the quickest, most effective mode of communication to those you miss. As well as my huge family, I have many friends who are all throughout the country. Whether I am feeling homesick or just need to see a familiar, I try to schedule a day and time for all of us to tune in and talk. This has helped me tremendously during the first few weeks and even now during the long, awkward periods where I haven’t been home in awhile.
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Socials
- Even if you get the worst FOMO, checking to see what people are doing back home makes me feel at home. Whenever I see my family doing the same things that I used to do, such as going to one of my cousins’ houses for the Nebraska game or chilling out on a Sunday afternoon, it makes me feel as if my schedule is still in check. Prior to coming to college, I fell into a common routine throughout the seasons and had an established sense of normalcy within my friends and family. In addition, staying in contact through social media is essential to maintaining relationships throughout different parts of the country. Whether it be sending twitter videos on groupchats or Instagram stories, having that interaction brings me back home.
Scents
- Nothing brings me back home more than scents. Whether it be a smell in the air or perfume, every memory that I have back home is triggered the most by scents. During my first week, I bought a bottle of my mom’s perfume and my dad’s cologne and it immediately made me feel better. I also use the same perfumes that I used throughout the summer and essential parts of my life that bring me back instantly. Although this may be a little odd, this has been one of the most effective remedies for my homesickness.
Food
- Similarly to scents, eating similar food brings a sense of normalcy to this huge transition. I have been blessed with the delicacy that is Downs’ Dining Hall (lol) and there are many options that are able to bring me back. Back home, I was constantly going out to different restaurants all throughout Omaha and tried different kinds of food. Whenever I get sick of dining hall food, which is often, my friends and I go to Mass St. and get food (Baan Thai is a personal fav).