Dedicated to Mason Keith
Going away from your family, loved ones, and significant other is one of the hardest things to do when you choose to go to school out of state. Since over 30% of college students experience low-level homesickness, and 69% of first-year students experience extreme homesickness, it is a real issue during the college experience, especially as a freshman.
Homesickness can be broken down into two distinct concepts: separation and distress. Both of these parts are related to other aspects of the first-year student experience, including commitment, satisfaction, peer connection and conversation, and social integration. Many of these things can be hard for a college freshman, and I have faced problems with each one.
Being an only child and losing one of my parents when I was 12, it was extremely hard to leave home, but I know that it was the best option for me and my education. Though I do not live far from St. John’s (I live in New Jersey), it is hard to miss the people that you love. I especially miss my mom, my boyfriend, and my two cats. It’s hard to deal with the hardships and stress that my first semester has brought on without them being physically by my side to help me through it.
Even though I call my mother and my boyfriend every day, it is hard going without home-cooked meals, being able to relax at home, and having a comfortable and homely place where I know I can be myself completely.
This semester has faced me with challenges, and it makes me want to go home, but I know that my education and my future are more important. My future, especially with my family and boyfriend, are the things that keep me going and motivated.
My mother always told me that my father would be extremely proud of me because of all I’ve already done at St. John’s, and I know that I am working my hardest to make my dreams become a reality. Making your dream come true will help you realize that not being at home is worth it because personal happiness in the present and future can help you overcome your homesickness. Thinking about your future can help you understand why you chose that university in the first place.
Remember that you are not alone, go out and make friends, get out of your room, explore New York City, and enjoy college life to the best of your ability!