The day you move into college, your life inevitably changes forever. Is this a bad change? Absolutely not! Is this a scary change? Absolutely! Your about to start a new life for yourself where you can be anyone you want to be. You’ll explore new places, meet new people, and experience so many new things. However at the same time, you’ll be forced to grow up. You’ll be leaving behind a house with a loving family in a town you spent your entire childhood in. You’ll miss it, and that’s okay. It will take a while to get used to, but with my help you’ll stop feeling homesick in no time.
1.) Don’t: Be discouraged by people you met in the beginning of the year who might not have turned out to be the friends you thought they were. You’re better off without them.
Do: Continue trying to meet new people. Open your dorm room door; say hi to new faces. As much as it may seem like it, friend groups are not permanent and people are always looking for new friends.
2.) Don’t: Stay in your room and sulk. Ever.
Do: Go outside. Get some fresh air. Stay active. Sitting on your bed in your gloomy dorm room watching Netflix isn’t helping anyone.
3.) Don’t: Think that you’re the only one feeling the way you do. This is far from the truth.
Do: Realize that homesickness is completely normal. Whether you’re 15 minutes or 1,500 miles from home, whether it’s your first year or fourth, whether you never thought you would feel this way: don’t worry. It’s normal and other people feel the same exact way.
4.) Don’t: Be afraid to admit to your homesickness.
Do: Like I said in #3, other people probably feel the same way as you, but you’ll never know unless your honest about it. It’s okay to be open about how you’re feeling with friends, family, or even counselors at school.
5.) Don’t: Go home every weekend. No matter how hard this one may be it only makes things worse. The longer you stick it out, the easier it will become.
Do: Go home if you really need to. Yes, I know I have contradicted myself from the “Do”, but as much as you shouldn’t go home every single weekend, you should go home if you really feel like you need to. Most freshmen feel like they have something to prove by staying at school. They don’t want to seem embarrassing to their friends from home, and they don’t want to disappoint their parents. Here’s a little secret, no one cares. Chances are if someone is judging you for going home, they’re not really your friend and let’s face it; your parents are probably excited to have you back to do your laundry and give you a home-cooked meal.
What you should take away from these five Do’s and Don’ts is to most importantly not be embarrassed about your homesickness. This is a completely natural occurrence when you go away to school, and you should never feel ashamed by it. Although, don’t let it control you. Instead, take control of your homesickness by being honest, staying active and never giving up. Soon enough, you’ll be homesick when you’re back in your hometown, missing the home you have made for yourself at school.