<p>Is anyone sad about being away from home?</p>
<p>I probably will be at least for the first week, but then hopefully I’ll have adjusted after that.</p>
<p>My freshman year, I found myself very rarely homesick. I’d had experience being away from home for long periods at a time, though never as long as several months.</p>
<p>I found several things that helped me:
- Keep in touch with your family. Call them at least once a week and email them at least once every few days. I called my mom to talk for at least a few minutes every day and it helped both of us – mom with empty-nest syndrome and me with homesickness. But don’t let this get out of hand…if you feel like your parents are starting to control you or if they try to visit you every single weekend, for instance, make sure you communicate to them that you love them, but you do need your space.</p>
<p>2) Enjoy being surrounded by teenagers. College can be a 24/7 party if you want it like that. Whenever you’re feeling down or lonely, just walk outside of your room and chat up the people on your hall. Make plans with them, spontaneously take a coffee/smoothie/milkshake break with them, etc. You don’t even have to know the people very well…never hurt to make new friends.</p>
<p>3) Keep a journal. It may seem like a silly idea, you may find yourself cramped for time, or you might just be lazy. But venting in a journal can help you see situations more objectively and can help you feel better.</p>
<p>4) Stay in touch with friends from home. Every now and then, drop your friends from home a message on Facebook. Ask how they’re liking their college experience…what classes they’re taking…how are the parties…and so on. And ask them if they’re ever homesick. If so, what do they do about it?</p>
<p>5) Don’t be afraid to bring a stuffed animal/baby blanket to college. Trust me, you won’t be the only one…almost everyone on my hall had a teddy bear or a blanket! :)</p>
<p>6) Bring movies and books from home that you always like when you’re down or lonely. I brought a Harry Potter book with me and read it when I just wanted something I knew would distract me.</p>
<p>7) Dive into schoolwork. Obviously not the most fun option, but hey…that’s why you’re in college!</p>
<p>8) If you’re having roommate-issues, try to limit your time in your room. My freshman roommate and I were just…not always the best for each other. But as a general rule, if you are around someone 24/7, you’re going to go a little crazy and you’re going to eventually resent your roommate. Spending a lot of time outside of your room will decrease the likelihood of this resentment occurring. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than feeling uncomfortable in your own bedroom… That can make you very homesick! So don’t let it get you down. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to your RA. There’s a reason your RA is getting paid just to live there.
I would also recommend NOT requesting someone you know to be a roommate. A lot of friendships are ruined that way.</p>
<p>thanks, guys. i’ve never been away from home for that long so it’s going to be tough, and i’ll probably feel guilty for leaving my mom (i’m an only child), but hopefully i’ll have fun and forget about all that.</p>