If you are somebody who finds comfort in living at home and you find it hard to adjust back to campus life after winter break ends, then you are like me: a homebody. Leaving the comfort of your hometown where you have no educational responsibilities can be hard to do. You’ve caught up with your friends who go to different universities and you had a chance to go back to work to make money. You didn’t have to worry about assignments that were due or tests you had to study for, so when it’s time to come back to school for the spring semester, it is completely normal to find yourself in a rut. There are a few things you can do to get yourself out of this rut or to avoid feeling extremely depressed at the start of your new semester.
1. Keep yourself busy.
Whether that means remembering to get out of the house every once in a while, or even just engaging in some of your favorite hobbies, be sure to keep yourself busy. This doesn’t mean that you should completely ignore how you are feeling or try to block out the emotions that are bubbling to the surface, it just means to engage in activities that help you become in tune with your emotions in a healthy way. Some suggestions are going for a walk to clear your mind, write how you are feeling down in a journal, paint something that expresses the emotions you are feeling. Do whatever it is you need to do to be mindful and express those negative feelings in a proactive way.
2. Don’t isolate yourself.
One of the most common feelings that I personally feel about going back to school is loneliness. It’s important to surround yourself with people who make you feel emotionally fulfilled, rather than drained. This could be as many as ten people or as little as one person. Quality outweighs quantity. Isolating yourself and pushing yourself away from people can increase your loneliness and even make you feel abandoned. This will not help you, especially if you are already feeling depressed or anxious about the upcoming semester. Alone time is also important, and you don’t need to constantly be surrounded by people but being able to have people in your life that you can go to when you are feeling alone can be a way to cope.
3. Keep in contact with those you consider family.
Everyone has their own definition of a family whether it’s by blood or not, but the people you consider family are typically from the place that you consider home. Setting aside time to contact them via email, text, call, or even video chat will help you maintain that emotional connection to home that you feel. Of course, it won’t be exactly the same as the comfort of living in your home, but at least it won’t feel like you’ve completely cut ties with home. Remember, this is only a temporary period of time away and soon enough you’ll be back with your loved ones in the confines of your home.
4. Look into joining on-campus organizations.
If you find that your days are becoming dull with nothing to do, or if you are having trouble finding a solid friend group, joining an organization affiliated with your university can be a solution to those problems. No matter what club you decide to join, you’ll meet plenty of new people and will most likely find some people that you connect with. This is also a great way to build your resume and practice networking with people in a more professional sense. While you’re at it, look to see if there is a Her Campus chapter affiliated with your university!
Staying active mentally ties in with each of these recommendations. It’s important to keep your mind healthy and in tune with campus life in order to stay as happy as possible as classes start up again. Remember, although it may feel it, you are never alone on a college campus, it’s always a matter of having the right tools and connections to keeping yourself active with your university.