Nine days ago I published a blog all about being physically ill at school. But I didn’t get the chance to address another, just as daunting, type of sickness you may face away from home. Homesickness. Physically, this type of sickness may not be so bad, but mentally it can really mess with you. So, here are some of my experiences and tips!
As a freshman, my homesickness was ROUGH. Whenever I had to leave my mom (whether I went home for break or she came to visit), I would just cry all day. I also have two little siblings who at the time were 5 and 7, and it was hard for me to think about them without getting the urge to cry. I am here to tell you that IT GETS BETTER! This may sound sad, but I’ve really gotten used to being away from home. My winter term and summer plans in college have always taken me away from home, so I usually spend maybe 6ish weeks of the year actually in my hometown. It’s still sad sometimes, but it’s a lot more bearable, and I’m more comfortable being on my own.
But, for my friends who may be freshmen or are still struggling with intense homesickness, I have some ideas for you! Something that really helped me was having my mom write me a couple letters that I could take with me to school. Then, on the days that I was really missing her, I could read them and feel connected to her. Sometimes reading your mom’s handwriting saying “it will all be okay” makes all the difference.
I also planned specific times in the week for me to call my family. Every Sunday at 1pm I would call my siblings. In my first semester, I was calling my mom basically every day after dinner. But this really worked, because I never wondered when I would be able to talk to my family again, I always knew and looked forward to it!
Something that will really help (especially at the beginning) is trying to hang out with anyone you can, and going to as many activities as you can! One of the main reasons we feel homesick is because we feel lonely. You are not alone in this feeling, almost everyone else is feeling it too. If you keep yourself busy, you don’t have time to feel homesick. Your friends will quickly become your family. Most people aren’t friends with their first-semester friend group by year two (myself included), but they really make all the difference in whether you feel alone or a part of a forming family.
I hope that this was able to give you some hope that homesickness won’t last forever, and there are so many things you can do to lessen your symptoms. It will all be okay!
