So, it’s just about half way through the semester. You were just home for fall break and now you’re back here at YCP missing your pet, boyfriend, girlfriend, mom, dad, brother, sister, neighbor and even Wawa (yes I’m from Wawa country). Here are a few tips to avoid feeling blue while being away from the comforts of your home.
1. Pick up the phone!
You probably are reading this on your phone right now, but the whole “I’m attached to the phone” concept has changed a lot over the years. Picking up the phone used to mean actually calling someone. Like, you know, the main function of a phone? Call your mom, your grandma, your cousin, your sister and even your boyfriend’s mom. Guess what? She will love hearing from you and it will feel amazing knowing that someone out there cares about you while you navigate this crazy college life.
2. Bring lots of pictures!
My old roommate had her entire wall covered in pictures of her friends and family. No lie, top to bottom, covered. When I first saw her room I immediately began to miss my friends and family, so I took her idea and totally went on a picture-printing spree. Two days later I had plastered the space around my bed in pictures of everyone in my life. It was awesome to have all those pictures when I was feeling down, and it was even better to show everyone off to my school friends.
Check out this blog for some cool ideas!
3. Freeze mom’s food!
There’s really nothing like a home-cooked meal, and sometimes the dining hall just doesn’t cut it. Last week my mom made her famous chicken noodle soup and she put some in the freezer for me and my siblings to take back to school. Let me tell you, having mom’s chicken soup on hand was great when I started coughing yesterday. I can feel the cold coming on already, but at least I have my mom’s soup! You can’t go wrong with this. Everyone has a microwave and it’s really simple to defrost stuff in one of those.
4. Stay busy!
This is seriously the only way I keep myself from missing everything at home. I wake up at 7, get ready, go to class, go to an internship, study, go eat dinner, go to sleep, wake up and repeat the process. There is literally no time to be sad that I’m at school and not home with my boyfriend. Keeping busy and getting involved on campus is extremely important and one of the best things to do when you’re feeling a little homesick. Plus, everyone in those clubs and organizations can become a like second family to you, which is really nice to have.
5. Make every moment count! If you fixate on the negative stuff like a bad test grade or a boring Friday night, you’ll never have a chance to enjoy all of the fun stuff that happens at York. Does a class bowling night sound boring to you? GO ANYWAY! How about a dance? GO TO THAT TOO! The memories you make while you’re in college will be the ones you tell your future kids about one day. Make them something to talk about!
Before you know it, college will be over. Whether it’s for a break or because you graduated, you’ll miss your York friends and maybe even Rutter’s (yes, even the Wawa girl misses Rutter’s sometimes). College is the only time in your life when it is totally acceptable to be selfish. You have virtually no responsibilities. Enjoy every second of it while you can, because before you know it, being homesick will be the least of your worries.