<p>I go to a college that's only 25 minutes from home. My sister is a senior and has a car here so I can use it whenever to go back. I'm a freshman btw. I don't feel homesick at all and the first few times I went home I enjoyed spending time with my parents (I was kind of a angry teen towards them) but now I don't want to go home to see them at all.
Around 135 kids came here from my highschool out of my colleges freshman class of 4000. For some reason I am always better at making friends with girls and have met some nice ones but none that I'd really like to be great friend with. And I haven't met any guys I could call up to come hang out and watch tv on a weekend, just friend of friends. I hang out with 2 of my good (not best) friends from high school and their friends a decent amount of the time and occasionaly with other high school friends and their friends. I felt really lost the first week and missed out on making friends with the guys on my floor who now already have their cliques set up and I've hung with some of them but don't find them up my alley. However I am having fun on the weekends and go out and party most nights but would never text somebody whose number I got when drunk because that feels weird to me.
I've only joined one club since I was busy the day they had a club fair. Its something I like to do but the people in it all happen to be very well..quirky.
My classes are as easy as 9th grade of my high school and I like them enough and think I might know what to declare as a major next year.
The college town ain't nothing special, low income area with a good amount of crime but some neighborhoods with a lot of college kids. Two good shopping center/streets to go to but that's it. I feel like I'm completely in a bubble on campus and cut-off from the real world.
As I said before I'm not homesick and besides the fact that I'm already disliking my dorm (as I'm sure 50% of kids are) and my roommate (never talks but is neat, I try making converation with him all the time but he only gives 1 word replies usually) theres only one reason I want to go home..and I feel it constantly.
When I was 4 my family got a dog and he was my best friend for 12 years til he died last september. I miss him so much that I'm even tearing just typing this. When I was in 5th grade we got his brother who, while the older one was the family dog while I was his boy, the younger was always my dog and doesn't really behave well with others. I became really introverted and kind of gave up socially senior year after my dog died and my younger dog was the only source of comfort and friendship I had to keep me going.
Now it's so weird being..well without a dog for the first time since I was 4! I feel lonely all the time even if I'm surronded by people just because I don't have my boy by my side at all during the weeks. I hate to think that by the time I'm out of college my dog will be the same age my older one was when we had to put him down (he died in my arms not painlessly which makes me even sadder). I hate to feel like all the leisure time I have due to easy courseload is wasted since I'm not with my boy even if I fill the time with working out, being with people, or leisure activities (read/tv/etc).
My parents think it's not normal and means I have a problem (like am depressed at school or something) if I visit every other weekend. This makes me have conflicted feelings about going home but I miss my dog so much!! I'm dogsick.
Anyway I think this rant was good for me..to get it out of my system..if u made it this far and want to toss me some helpful advice that would be great!
Thanks</p>
<p>So the major problem seems to be you missing your dog, which I think is perfectly normal. Many people I used to know missed their dogs / pets more than their families. I guess, it might sound weird, but you could skype your family and then see your dog to see that he’s doing fine? haha idk if that’d work. But since you’re really close to home and you’e not even homesick, going home to just check on your dog for a bit like you are going doesn’t seem like a big problem, other than missing what’s going on at college. I’d say do whatever makes you happy, but try to go home like, once a month, or just on big breaks. It’ll make the moments better i think</p>
<p>Have you thought about getting an apartment next year and taking the dog to live with you?</p>
<p>Yes, I know a lot of people don’t recommend college students having pets, but if you are really dedicated to the dog and make time and money (maybe getting a job) for him, it can be done. Maybe get dog insurance (like Trupanion or PetPlan) to help with really costly emergencies, and put aside around $3,000 just in case someting happens.</p>
<p>Most people my age (I am in my mid-20’s) don’t have pets yet either, especially with having to move apartments, etc. I have a dog, two guinea pigs, and a foster bird. It’s A LOT of work, and it will put certain limitations on your life (won’t everything?), but it CAN be done if you put the animals first.</p>