It’s a new year, new school, new room, and new environment. You’re not used to your surroundings and odds are you barely know anyone. The one place you wish you could be is at home with your parents or laying in your own bed. But home is too far away. Odds are you are homesick. Most people go through homesickness and deal with it in different ways. Here are a few tips to help relieve some of the sadness you’re feeling:
Find Your Friends
Although most people prefer to branch out and find new friends in college, it’s okay to stick with your high school friends. Those are people you have most likely known all your life and may very well be the comfort you need at the moment. Having someone familiar and someone you’re comfortable with will help make the transition into college much easier.
Do Something You Enjoy
Do something that you really enjoyed to do at home to make you feel more comfortable. Go grab your favorite food or watch your favorite movie; It will ease some nerves more than you would think. Share your favorite things with your friends to give yourself a bond between your old home and your new home.
Explore
Because it is a new area that means there’s so much room for new opportunities. Try something new on campus that you’ve never thought to do before; You may surprise yourself and like it. New surroundings mean so many new adventures. Grab a friend and explore your new home.
Get Involved
Find something on campus that really interests you and join it, such as joining a club. Joining clubs are a super easy and fun way to make new friends, especially those who share a common interest. Getting involved can also be a good way for you to forget that you are homesick because you’ll be too busy with all your new activities and friends.
Call Home
Don’t make the mistake of not talking to anyone, that just makes things worse. It’s okay to call home and tell your family you miss them. It’s even okay to visit home. It is a hard transition and some people may need to make the transition slower than others.
Give it Time
Homesickness happens to most people. You are thrown into a new way of living that you have not had time to adapt to yet. Give yourself time to find your niche and your friends, and everything will fall into place.