College Students and Homesickness
How to Adjust to Freshman Year, Dorm Life, and Moving Away From Home
Does leaving home for the first time feel like a little more than you can handle? Here are some tips to help you deal with homesickness.
Starting your freshman year of college can be very exciting, but once Mom and Dad drive away, many students feel overwhelmed and homesick. At the same time that students are confronted with academic and social challenges, the support system they have known their whole lives is under a different roof.
What's the best way to deal with homesickness? Here are some ideas.
- Allow yourself to feel homesick. Some students may not want to admit how much they miss home. They may perceive their feelings as immature and get angry at themselves. If you feel homesick, give yourself a break and understand that your feelings are normal and not immature. No matter how old people get, major life changes are traumatic, and you are going through a major life change.
- Keep busy. Throw yourself into college life and you'll find yourself missing home less. Finding things to keep you busy won't be hard to do! Take part in freshman orientation week activities. Get off to a good start in your classes. Find out what kinds of student activities are available an attend some meetings.
- Make friends. College campuses can be very lonely places if you don't know anyone. It may take awhile for you to meet people you truly bond with, but in the meantime, make an effort to get to know as many people as you can.
- Get off to a good start with your roommate. You don't have to be best friends, but you'll feel a whole lot more at home in your room if you two get along. Here are some helpful college roommate etiquette tips.
- Communicate (in moderation) with your family. Your family hasn't left your life. Call and email them and talk about how you are feeling. Remember, being a parent of a college freshman can be an emotionally difficult experience as well. At the same time, though, don't use your family as a crutch. Keep in touch, but you need to move in with your new life as well. A visit home can help with homesickness, but don't go home too often or you will have trouble integrating into your new life.
- Talk to your residence assistance. Every dorm floor has a student in charge who can help students get adjusted to college. If you feel overwhelmed, stop by for a chat.
- If needed, talk to a counselor. If homesickness is making it difficult for you to function in college, or if you are suffering from depression, take advantage of the mental health facilities on your campus. Homesickness is a very common problem, and college counselors know how to help.
- Decorate. If your room is cozy and comfortable, it will feel more like home. Here are some dorm room decorating ideas.
- Avoid rash decisions. When people are depressed or overwhelmed, they sometimes make big decisions that are unwise. This is not the time to drop out, transfer to a different school, end a long term relationship, or anything else of major consequence. Wait until you are feeling better before you make life changing decisions.
- Give yourself time. It may take a semester or even more before you stop feeling homesick. It takes time to adjust to major life changes like this one. Hang in there!
The copyright of the article College Students and Homesickness in Campus Life is owned by Naomi Rockler-Gladen. Permission to republish College Students and Homesickness in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
