By Cathryn Nye
Approaching the last few weeks of summer, my excitement for college and its new beginnings was obvious. I felt ready for what was to come with a strong intuition that my school was the best fit for me. I would lay out at the beach with my boyfriend, buzzing with excitement as I told him all I was looking forward to during my time in Los Angeles.
Flash forward a few weeks, the routinely blue San Diego sky was abnormally grey and overcast. As my hands shook when I weakly waved goodbye, I felt a pit in my stomach that had never occured during all the months of preparation for that day. I felt sick as my boyfriend’s truck disappeared from the rearview mirrors. I inhaled and reminded myself all the good that was to come when arriving to school.
I set up my dorm with fluffy pillows, a comfy rug, and lots of pictures that brought my walls to life. As I hugged my parents goodbye, I was so ready to go outside and meet people, to make myself a community. During the few days of orientation, I busied myself with activities and met many different people each day. I remember thinking how well I was doing with the transition of college, better than I expected in the sense that I missed home, my relationship, and my friends a bearable amount. Once the hustle and bustle of orientation came to a close and classes began, I started to struggle. I had all these potential friends, I joined clubs, and I was working out, but I simply missed home. I desired familiarity and felt tremendously out of place in my new environment. I would be laughing and happy with my girlfriends one moment to crumpled in a heap the next. My emotions were out of control; I had not expected any of this to occur. Everyone around me shrugged off homesickness and said that it goes away with time, but I couldn’t believe that with all the good going on in my life, I could still feel so negative.
I continued to call my family and friends all the time while making an effort to keep up with my workout routine, eat healthy, and get the rest that I needed. I made it a priority to stay out of my dorm and study outside where I was constantly around people. Even though I am still transitioning to college life, I am hopeful that by highlighting my experience so far, people who are going through the same will realize that it’s normal to want to quit and go home.
Remember that you are here for a reason and that with time you will be thanking yourself that you pushed through. I wish homesickness and acclimation periods were discussed openly, and I hope that everyone has a good start to their year.