You’ve been thinking about it for months, anticipating and longing for the moment when you’d finally get to leave home. College, which once seemed like some far-off possibility for the future, is now your present. Your family helps you pack away your things into boxes and you say goodbye to your childhood room for what feels like the last time. For once, you truly feel like your own person, capable of taking on anything that should come your way. So, you decorate your dorm, buy your groceries, and prepare to hug your parents for their trip back home. It’s not until after they leave that the stress of the unfamiliar begins to weigh down on your conscience and turn your college experience into a miserable and lonely one.
You never imagined that you’d miss your life back home so much; in fact, you couldn’t wait to leave! What you’re feeling is beyond normal. According to one survey by UCLA Higher Education Institute, 69 percent of students reported feeling homesick their first year. So, what can you do to make yourself feel less homesick?
1. Bring a piece of home with you
No matter how much time you plan to spend in your dorm, your room should always feel like your safe haven: a place to relax and detox from the stresses of class, work, etc. When you’re feeling homesick, many of these everyday stressors can feel amplified beyond belief, so it’s important to come back to a space that reminds you of home. For some people, this might mean bringing pictures to string up along the walls. For others, this could mean getting creative and DIY-ing your very own picture frame filled with dirt or sand from home.
2. Make a family recipe
If you can remember that classic saying “food is where the heart is,” then you know where I’m going with this one. Food can bring people together from all over and embolden us to try something new and different to us, but it can also serve as a comfort and remind us of better times. Whether it was your mom’s rice and beans or PB&J that you missed the most, recreate it. Sure, we might not all be the best chefs, but hey, we’re learning. There’s no better way to feel closer to home than to make the dishes you loved growing up with.
3. Explore your surroundings
There’s nothing worse you can do when you’re feeling down than to stay in your dorm and neglect the outside world. There is so much opportunity and adventure waiting for us all, but we have to open ourselves up to finding it. Personally, I know how hard it can be to get up and out of bed on a particularly rough day, but once you’ve got the sun warming up your face and something new lurking around every corner, it becomes so worth it.
4. Communication is key
We have so much technology at our fingertips and as a result, our loved ones are never too far away. If you’re ever feeling really detached from home, pick up the phone and call someone! Whether it’s your brother, aunt, or best friend, hearing from the people we love and what’s going on in their lives can seriously lift your spirits. If you feel like you need to call, then do it, but never to the extent where your overall happiness derives from that phone call and ends with it. If you feel like you need something tangible from home, ask your parents to send you a care package, or get your friend to send you a handwritten letter (opening your mailbox to actual mail: a great feeling).
5. Always ask for help
There is nothing more important than reaching out to others when you feel like you need it. Homesickness can quickly spiral into something much more serious when not addressed or dealt with. If at any point, you feel as though your homesickness is impacting your mental health in any way, and you’ve already begun to experience the impact in your academic and social life, seek help from a professional. There are so many resources on campus to heal your heart and mind and provide you with the ease to make UCF your home away from home. For questions about on-campus services you can receive, contact 407-823-2811, or stop by building #27 next to the Health Center.
