<p>How long does it take to adapt to the whole situation? I'm extremely close to my family, and it's going to be hard to get used to BS, but generally are the people welcoming, and do they help you get used to it? How long does the homesickness last?</p>
<p>it is different for every person so it would be hard to tell you in a week youll be fine and then a week passes and u might not and then u would expect it to be not normal and want to go home. every situation is unique</p>
<p>You will adjust. I was very close to my family before I went abroad to attend a school all by myself. It turned out to be the best time of my life and I made great friends from all around the world. I didn’t miss home at all but I did miss my mother in the first few weeks. We kept in contact very regularly.</p>
<p>You’ll get the chance to see and try new things so I would imagine it wouldn’t be too hard for you. Plus, you’re still in your home-country where your primary language is spoken. Join clubs and activities that you enjoy, you’ll meet plenty and plenty of people who have similar interests that you do. You’ll have new friends in no time.</p>
<p>You’ll be fine. Don’t stress too much over it. It’s a great opportunity and I’m sure you wouldn’t regret going to BS.</p>
<p>@prep, I noticed you will be a 2012 applicant. Perhaps you could give it a test run at a sleep away camp. Several of the BS you are considering offer summer programs. My son did Exeter and had a lot of fun.</p>
<p>As a parent who’s child didnt get homesick, my d did discuss the fact that many of her friends did have a short bout with it.</p>
<p>It depends on each kid and your background. My d had started in summer camps 5 years ago. First year just a week away at our state’s flagship university…she loved it. The next year it was 1 week downstate and 3 weeks in the northeast. Both programs were prepared to handle kid’s first time away experiences, for students and parents. </p>
<p>As a parent I learned to not call at night, the worst time of the day, send mail and packages, some sent before the kid left, and when you speak to kid, do more listening than talking.</p>
<p>Even with all this advice it comes down to each kid’s personality. </p>
<p>For most kids, if you are at a place of your choosing, you are excited about your new adventure, and if you are willing to jump in 100% this time will be busy and fun. </p>
<p>My d misses home, but loves BS. I miss her but am happy that she is happy!!</p>
<p>Take advantage of all your school has to offer. My d found the best thing is her three proctors (called prefects at some schools).</p>
<p>They are seniors, who choose to live in the underclass houses and act as big sisters/brothers to underclassmen. The model, guide, support and lead their proctees. For a kid like mine who has no siblings, nor cousins she has found great friendships and life long relationships.</p>
<p>I, too, love her proctors:-).</p>
<p>My son was the type we started in an overnight camp at a college in our hometown with his best friend and a family member as roommates, because we knew…and yes we had to pick him up the first night because he was already homesick. Never tried away camp again.</p>
<p>Then last summer, time for BS eventually came and he ended up…flying like an eagle.</p>
<p>Guess, they determine when is best for them to leave the nest.</p>
<p>the proctors/prefects at my son’s school not so good. he says they say one thing, yet they do another…interesting</p>
<p>Our son’s adviser told us that he’d be fine after parent’s week-end (about six weeks in), and that was mostly true. The homesickness was hard, but adviser and proctors and getting a big box of stuff from home and decent midterm grades all helped. </p>
<p>My advice is to bring lots of photos from home (pictures of favorite places as well as people); comforting stuff like your comforter or pillowcase; books you’ve loved rereading over the years; and some of that goofy stuff you have had hanging out in your room at home for years. And call home or text as much as you need to. And let your adviser and proctors know if you’re feeling blue; don’t hide it.</p>
<p>i would say to not bring too much from home because it will make u miss home even more. dont think about home in the morning or at night because those are the worst times of homesickness. A mom at a summer camp once told my mom that the third day is the hardest. and it has been true for camps and bs. once i get through the third day i feel great! lol</p>
<p>Depends on the kid, I guess, bookluver…mine said it really helped to have his homey stuff around him. But he had way more than three days of homesickness–and lots of past experience being away from home–so I guess the bottom line is, you won’t know what will happen until you get there, but it does pass.</p>
<p>My son didn’t want to take too much from home, but instead wanted all new bedding, reading lamp, etc. What we did was to have him start using everything at least a month or so before he left. So he had already been using the bedding which we stripped from his bed at home when we moved to the dorm, and it followed him.</p>
<p>He found this to be very helpful at settling in to his new dorm. There was a lot of familiarity, not so much newness.</p>
<p>My youngest - 6th grade - has gone to 2 wk camps the last three summers and what he said he learned from camp was to keep busy and never be alone too long in your room to think about your family/home.
When he made honor roll last fall and was able to study in the dorm it was harder for him because he was ‘alone’ and his mind could drift to home. He elected to go back to study hall.<br>
Right now, winter sports (for him) have ended - term projects and tests are done - five more days until vacation…
Today it snowed so hard that the bus turned around and the last Sunday ski trip had to be cancelled. It was 20 degrees. He called home twice, I expect another call tonight after study hall… and he called his grandmother too!
At home it is low 80s, sun and the fish are biting… too easy to think about and be homesick – but it too shall pass…</p>
<p>It’s different for everyone. I actually never got homesick- I’ve always been pretty independent, so adapting was quite easy. But of course many people get homesick.</p>
<p>You really won’t know until you get there.</p>
<p>Usually advisors or maybe even dorm faculty will help with homesickness- they’re accustomed to dealing with it.</p>